Wake Up Living
by the fates of love
Summary: Maybe one day you'll wake up and realize how to fix it. Maybe you'll realize that "it" isn't even broken. Then you can wake up and live. Couples JxT AxA. Directly after Phantom Rising 2
1. Single

**Hey all you fanfictiontastic readers! I'm the fates of love, though many of you COTT fanficers know me as the reviewer "Lady in Red", but somebody took that name, so yeah, new name for me. Any how, this is my first story, and I hope you all love it!**

**Special thanks to MichaellaLoe; because of you and google's crappy search engine, I found this site. This was the beginning of everything, or at least all that I can't live without today, writing.**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own COTT (I wish I did), but I own this plot, and maybe I will own my very own story, characters and all, but not today.

**WARNING: This is a revised copy of the original "Wake Up Living", a COTT fanfic by the fates of love. All chapters from here on out with this label have been revised to fit the new version of this story, and until such time that they do, they have not. **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Seven mortal teen heroes stepped through the blue portal and into Hermes office. Herry in front, looking high and low for any form of food; Neil, looking in his mirror, of course; Jay and Odie, discussing... something or other intelligently; and Archie and Atlanta in a heated debate. At the rear of the group walked Theresa, her head hanging low. She felt as though everyone were looking at her, criticizing her every move.

Hermes look at them with glee. "Oh good, your all here. Jay, Odie, Herry, Neil, Atlanta, Archie. Oh, and you, Theresa," he laughed only half hearted, "I didn't see you". "Hera would like to see you all now," Hermes tone had changed from joyful to casual at the sight of Theresa, and air of business-at-hand heavy in his voice.

"Thanks Hermes," Jay said, "its nice to have you back".

xoxo

"Hera has not yet arrived," Artemis addressed the heroes, in her usual over exaggerated and loud tone. "However, we have prepared an... exercise of sorts to keep you busy". She shot Ares a powerful glance. At once, fighting robots emerged from the floor forward the heroes. Ares gave them each a small wooden sword. Theresa, however, did not receive one. Everyone watched as Ares handed her a small badminton racket, followed by dirty looks.

"Get creative," Artemis shouted, "BEGIN!"

Everyone had a relatively hard time gaining the upper hand in fighting their robot. Jay was putting up a good fight, but was equal to his opponent. Herry had dropped his sword and began to wrestle his robot full on. Archie and Atlanta were putting out similar kung-fu moves on theirs. Odie and Neil... don't get me started. But Theresa - she would have had her bot in tears! One arm was ripped, and she continued to smash it full body, with both her racket and her foot.

"Wow Jay...I'd be scared...if I were you," Archie warned between exhausted breaths, " dating a menacing...women like that could...become hazardous...to your health...some day". Archie had a smirk on his face from ear to ear with every word.

"She... is not... my... girlfriend" Jay defended. He's bot took an opportunity to strike, but Jay ducked and came back with another swing.

"Oh, well, really," Neil said in his most sarcastic voice. "Cause, you know, I thought she would be after you MADE OUT WITH HER IN FRONT OF US ALL!"

It was at that moment that Jay felt very uncomfortable. He hadn't really thought about what he had done on the beach. He just didn't want her to die without knowing. _Oh great, I'm such an idiot! She'll probably find me now and we'll be all alone, when she'll probably say something like "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry Jay, but I don't like you that way," or worse, "Sorry, I'm already dating somebody". _Oh yeah, that's exactly what he needed!

It was then that Miss Hera entered the room, her regular, commanding presence about her. Jay could feel the atmosphere change as soon as she walked into the room.

"Well done children," she began. "And I see it is not just Cronus I refer to". Although two bots were barely scaved, four bots were marked and scratched, and 1 was ripped to iron shreds. In that instant, they disappeared into the floor.

"I'm sure your all anxiously awaiting the news of the prophecy, but I am sorry to say that it has not been fulfilled". Hera's tone became compromising. "It seems that although you all defeated Cronus, the prophecy is not broken until he is put safely in the care of Campe back in Tartorous".

The seven where scattered in between shock and relief. Cronus was not away and the world was still in danger, but no one had wanted to leave this place, which they all had innerly admitted to be their home.

"Even though these circumstances have arose, we, the Gods, feel that you all deserve a reward. For the next three sum weeks, you shall enjoy a normal, God free, life. Even from Athena, to do as you wish". The heroes eyes widened in amazement and joy.

"We shall have Hermes contact you for further questions. That is all". Then with a dismissive wave of her hand, she exited the room.

xoxo

"Well this is great," Neil exclaimed, excitement ringing in his voice. "I'll finally be on the cover of something again, and I have three weeks to do it! Without Aphrodite!" He came in through the front door of the brownstone and sat down. The others followed.

"Yeah, my new found spare time has plans too, providing we don't get called back," Odie replied. "Uh, there's never any food" Herry complained. He walked over to the large green chair that had been dubbed his since the butt-mileage incident and sunk down. "That's because you eat it all, Herry!"

"It's not like Cronus is just gonna take a vacation. It doesn't make an sense why they want us all to leave," Jay said as he and Archie walked in. "Jay, you worry to much, the Gods will call us back if anything happens; just relax! Its not like Odie's gonna recall our PMRs," Archie snapped. "Actually, I'm working on-," Neil cut him off, " Jay, wanna know what your problem is?"

"No" Jay groaned into his hands. "Your problem is that your worried a certain Miss Theresa is gonna leave, and I mean, lets be honest, you don't want her to. You'd rather your girlfriend-"

"She. is. not. my. GIRLFRIEND," Jay said frustratedly.

"Oh please," Neil said, all-knowingly arrogant. "If she said _'come hither Jay'_, are you telling me you wouldn't slam her into the nearest wall and do it?" he asked. All the while, Jay's face continued to turn an unusual shade of red.

"Dude, look at his face! Is he breathing?" Herry asked, trying to stop an outbursting laugh from escaping.

"We really didn't wanna hear that opinion you two," Odie said frankly.

"Fine, it's not my fault. If you don't want to, then lets not listen to Neil!". "Uh, yes lets not," Herry said as he jumped up and off to the kitchen, again in search of something edible. It was at this time Atlanta and Theresa came in.

"Whats with you two?" Theresa asked, looking at Archie and Neil, who could barely contain a laugh. As she looked to Jay for an answer, his head fell into his hands once again, to hide the rise of the blush growing increasingly prominent from his neck to his ears.

"Who cares," Atlanta said, voice full of rage, "did Miss Persephone really have to keep you that long? I though you'd never get out".

"Probably nothing a movie won't take your mind off of," Archie said quaintly, coming up behind her and resting his elbow on her shoulder.

"Whats playing," Jay asked. _Wow, it dares speak!_Archie thought. "30 days of night," Atlanta said excited, and her frustration at her friends mentor soon dissipated. She super-sprinted over to the kitchen to grab food, Theresa in tow.

xoxo

"When did you guys get here?" Herry asked. "Just now, it woulda been sooner, but somebody was busy! Hey, Terri, can you grab the popcorn?" Atlanta asked. "Sure thing". "Yeah if you can find the thing, I've been looking everywhere " Herry complained.

"Ah, haha, you should have looked better," Theresa said with a smirk, grabbing the popcorn from a high cupboard just out of Herry's reach - that way he couldn't eat it all. "Got the pop, lets watch some vampire!"

"You two start the movie," Theresa said, "I'll microwave this". Herry and Atlanta left the room and Theresa made her way over to the microwave. She put a couple bags in, then went over to the window.

_I can't believe I even did that today; someone could have been killed! "You can't just go off on a sudden quest to get your normal life back again!" Persephone had said. "You have been chosen to save the world! It is a great honour! You should be proud!" Then that thing with Jay, what was I thinking! He doesn't love me, I mean, he couldn't after that? Could he? _The microwave beeped, the smell of butter and salt bringing her back to reality.

xoxo

"I've got popcorn!" Theresa said as she walked into the room balancing no less than four bowls. She set them down on the coffee table. "Uh, after the movie, borrow some of my concealer for that monstrous burn on your forehead Theresa. What, that bottle imp get you again?"

"Yes. he. did! Jeez, you'd think he'd run out of things to torture me with, ha, not a chance!" she laughed sarcastically. She walked over to the couch as the credits began to roll. Without noticing, she had sat down by Jay, willing herself into the trap that soon became when either of them would fall asleep during the movie, and wake up on the lap of the other. It was inevitable. If there was one thing she wished she could control, it would be to be able to shut off the magnetic gravity that drew her towards him. Although, she could really get this whole business over with if she could read his mind... so that, in turn, could be of use.

_He once asked me if I could read minds, the time when we met. If only I could, then I'd jump in there and figure everything out once and for all! _But, for the time being, she would wait, and she would find out when the time came for knowledge to be known. In the meantime, however, small talk couldn't be _that_ horrible, could it? This was the question controlling the evil gravitational forces.

"Hey" she said, as casually as she could muster. He glanced her way.

"Hey"


	2. She's So Dangerous

**Hey everybody! So here's chapter 2, new and hopefully improved. Deleted, most of the OC's, cause they didn't make sense and didn't do anything to this story but make it confusing. Field hockey chapter has been cut short, and now things might run a little smoother for people like me, who had trouble figuring this scene out lol**

**Disclaimer: **I'm not gonna say I own COTT, because that would be a lie, and I believe that it is only appropriate to lie, smuggle, cheat, and bluff when playing a game of "Bullshit" with my sister.

**WARNING: This is a revised copy of the original "Wake Up Living", a COTT fanfic by the fates of love. All chapters from here on out with this label have been revised to fit the new version of this story, and until such time that they do, they have not. **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Well, that was nothing like I thought it would be," Herry exclaimed, "nothing like real vampires!"

"Yeah, their more vicious, that was just... depressing," Archie agreed.

"Are you kidding, that was great!!!"

"Neil, you just love vampire movies," Odie pointed out tiredly.

"Ok, that _is_ true!"

"Well I've got some field hockey to play tomorrow, so, I'm off," Atlanta said sleepily as she started up the stairs, "You coming Theresa, you know that Cambria hates a tired team". She glanced over at her best friend to find her, and the brown-eyed leader, both asleep on the couch, as expected. Jay's head was rested on the back of the couch, while Theresa's was tilted on Jay's left shoulder. Atlanta knew that right now there would be tension in their relationship, but she figured that if they could still be them while they were unconscious, living and loving awake would come soon.

"Come on Theresa, wakey wakey," she said quietly as she walked over to get Theresa up and off the couch. She managed to do so, and leave the room with her, without Jay waking.

They were soon followed by Herry, Neil, and Archie, while Odie retreated to the his basement "lair". Jay woke up when everyone had gone, and, shutting off the lights and returning the DVD to its case, he too left for sleep.

xoxoxo

Theresa was at her desk when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in"

"Hey," it was Atlanta, "you ok?"

"Yeah, why, I'm I dieing?"

"Ok, that's not funny. You almost could have today! You had us all really scared!" Atlanta seemed to be a little touchy on the subject. "God, I thought you where a dead ringer for sure!"

"I'm sorry, it's just, I thought I'd be doing us all some good, and I know that's not an excuse," Theresa said, biting at her lip nervously.

"Hey, can I trust you Lana?"

"Always, whats up?"

"Well, I'm really confused, I mean, well, it's Jay," she said holding back a shake in her voice, and a tear in her eye, "I'm really wondering what's going on between us, or if there's even an us anymore... If there ever was?"

Atlanta smiled an all knowing smile that she seldom tried to put on. She leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms. "Well, there was something there before if you two can so easily fall asleep on the couch during a thriller," she whispered a laugh, "you just have to find it again. I dunno how, maybe one day you'll wake up and realize how to fix it. Maybe you'll realize that _it _isn't even broken. Then you can wake up and live".

Theresa continued to stare at the ground, listening intently to Atlanta's message, and figure it out. She smiled weakly up at her best friend.

"Yeah," Theresa said quietly, "maybe I will". Then, with a second thought, she added, "you know, you really know what you're talking about Atlanta".

Atlanta grinned back at her, shrugging at her own simply wisdom, and headed out the door.

"G'night Theresa" she said.

"Goodnight Atlanta" she said quietly, more as a tired answer than a gesture, as she drifted off to sleep.

xoxoxo

_Beep-beep, beep-beep._

The alarm went off and Jay looked at the clock. It read 7:55am. _NO!!! I'm gonna be late!_ He quickly got dressed and ran downstairs.

"Ha, I win," Neil announced,"_you_thought Jay wouldn't be late cuz he never is, but _I _thought he'd be done in from an extra movie night, so I win!" Neil stared dancing around in the kitchen, "I'm. the. wiiiiiinner!!! Yes I am!!! You're the loooooser!!!!" He stuck his fingers on his forehead in an "L" shape. "Now, pay the man," Neil said as he held out his hand.

"Fine, FINE, _FINE! _Here," Archie reached in his pocket and grabbed five dollars. If there was anything Archie hated most, it was losing, especially a bet, especially to Neil and/or Atlanta.

Jay rolled his eyes at the display of ignorant immaturity, that was frequented in this household. _Wow! Wonder where Theresa is_he thought to himself. "She left with Atlanta, seriously, you'd think you'd know better than to look around in a panic like you've lost something this early. Dude, your like... her stalker! Lay off!" Herry laughed.

"I wasn't looking around in-"

"And he looks for her in the cupboard, Herry? It doesn't take a genius to know that he hasn't had breakfast," Odie said, half annoyed.

"Oh, well, hurry up already, your making us all late!"

xoxoxo

The lunch bell rang. Archie walked down the hall and up to the table that the guys sat at, minus Theresa and Atlanta. "No lunch?" Neil asked very cockily, and sarcastically.

"Not since Jay woke up late and I lost five bucks, no," Archie said, directed at Neil and Jay, as he stole the bright red apple off of Neil's plate.

_Crunch!!_

"Hey!"

"So, Archie, we all know that you've been planning to ask Atlanta out, so...," everyone let out a 'mhmm' in agreement to this statement. Archie had talked about nothing but his "plan of attack" for just about everyday since things had started to cost with him and Atlanta after that fateful boating trip.

"I'm working on it!" he said uncomfortably; he really didn't like talking about things like that when he hadn't been the one to bring it up. He did, however, see this as an opportunity to turn the tables on poor, innocent Jay.

"Well, what about you Jay? You _ever_ gonna ask Theresa out to the _big_ dance coming up?" he said as a smirk crossed his face.

"Well, that's really none of your business," Jay said with an annoyed smirk of his own.

"Hey Herry, jaw dropper in five!" Odie said excitedly. Sure enough there was a five-foot-six, jet black hair, hourglass _hotty_coming up behind Herry. Her name was Cambria, or Cam, Cammi, or simply the chick that Herry bench-presses. "Oh, hi Cam," Herry said, part casually and part in awe of his current girlfriend.

"Hey Herry, Archie, Jay, Odie, oh, and uh, Neil. Any of you see Theresa or Atlanta lately, I gotta talk to them about the game today". Oh, yeah did I mention that Herry landed a girl a year older than him, whose also the captain of the girls field hockey team? There was suppost to be a game that day at 3:00 pm against some team from outta town, the Sharks.

"Uh, well, if you see them, tell them that they've got to be in the lockeroom, ready, by 2:15, mmmkay! Bye Herry, oh, and we're still for the dance, right," she said in her oh so sweet, seductive voice. He just nodded in response.

"Oh, and, you two should get some dates," she said looking at Jay and Archie sarcastically, "preferably somebody off of, say, my team?" The boys looked at her amazed and embarrassed. She gave Herry a peck on the check and a hug then went off, her short skirt swaying.

"You want a life experience Herry? Well I'd say getting down that would DEFINITELY qualify!" Neil said looking at Cambria, leaning back in his chair, nodding. Herry looked at him with rage, taking everything he had not to pound the piece of parastic driftwood that was eyeing his girlfriend.

"Well your taking Cambria, I'm taking this 300gig beautiful," Odie said looking at his laptop lovingly, "Jay and Archie are dead. So whose Neil taking?"

Archie laughed, "Uh, himself!". Soon everyone joined in.

xoxoxo

"GAME TIME GIRLS! YOUR GONNA GIVE 135 percent, I'M I RIGHT!???!!!!" Artemis yelled out in the locker room. "NOW, GO GO GO!!!" she said as she pointed excitedly out at the field. The team ran out sticks in the air. Cambria at the head, a forward. Theresa and Atlanta behind her, also forwards. The rest of the team followed. They lined up on the field, save for four girls to make an even field.

"Oh perfect," Theresa and Atlanta heared Cambria sneer, "it's that witch!"

There was a petite raven haired girl on the opposing team's field side. She was only about five-foot-one, but she had a grin like a menace. She was flanked by two other girls, much taller than she, but with evil smiles all the same. The rest of the team followed her, so she was obviously their leader, whether she was captain or not.

"Oh lovely. Just what we need, and this time shes got friends," another girl from the team said, clearly annoyed. The whistle blew for the teams to huddle up. Cambria's charges gathered.

"Ok girl's," she started in a whisper, "we have this game in the bag, but we have a problem".

"Oh, shit Alisha's here" yet another teammate noticed. So her name was Alisha, then?

"Ok, yes," Cambria explained, "this is our problem. That girl is _evil _with a capital cr_EE_py and she needs to get out of this game. Some of us have played her before, and trust us when we say that her height says nothing about her swing". Theresa and Atlanta were not phased by this girl, she could never pose as a threat to either of them, today, tomorrow, or ever. "So here's the plan" Atlanta said viciously.

xoxoxo

The first forty-five minutes of the game went by like a flash. So far there had been two subs, one of which was Theresa, and other than that, five shots had been saved, leaving the score: Warriors-6 and Sharks-7.

"We're getting creamed! Come one lets go!" Cambria shouted, frustrated. She gave Atlanta a look of expectancy, for even she didn't quiet know the plan that her and Theresa had in mind. Only two defences were one field to catch the on-coming rushes from Alisha's team.

The ball was in their end, and Alisha looked at Atlanta as if to say _Wow! Is that the best you can do?! _Before she knew what hit her, like Zeus' lightning bolts it came down. Atlanta had had the ball, but not anymore. Alisha had taken it from her and in the process, given her an all too accurate punch in the ribs, then swept her with her stick.

Atlanta now gave her a glare that could have burnt a hole straight through Alisha's skull. She did not stop to realize she had a bleeding nose, and ran up to her attacker, doing the unpredictable and illegal, yet still tangible. There was a loud smack as Atlanta's elbow came in hard contact with Alisha's side. The whistle blew loud, and for once, Atlanta caught herself wondering why ref's missed every penalty but the ones she inflicted.

xoxoxo

After the ref benched Alisha for her very nearly knock out on Atlanta, he got some help for Atlanta's nose. She wasn't benched for the hit, but the minor injury, to which she protested, because she had seen _way_ worse. However, after he had blown the whistle, Theresa ran out onto the field. She ran up to Alisha and gave her one straight in between the eyes, resulting in one order of "black eye" for the slutty Sharks forward.

This started a pretty large fight between the two teams, involving damn near everyone on the field. People gave many hits, and took them in return. The ref, three coaches, and the two teams equipment mangers (poor Odie) got in to break up the multiply fights, barely winning the players over before the game could continue.

xoxoxo

The ball was in their end. A player off the other team was running down the field and passed the ball. The receiving player got up to the net before passing it back yet another teammate, who shot, but narrowly missed. Theresa took that opportunity to steal the ball. She passed it off to another player on her team by the name of Stephanie, who passed again.

The ball was deflected to Theresa who was running toward the net. Two of Alisha's lackeys looked at her in a way that said she wouldn't live much past the next play. Theresa quickly passed the ball as the other girls sticks came into contact with her knees. Her teammate made the shot, barely missed, only to see the ball deflect of Cambria's stick, INTO THE NET!!! Many screams rang out, of triumph, and of pain. After that, the sudden death round was a snap! Alisha was benched with a black eye and many bruises. She didn't play sudden death, and, to be frank, her team really wasn't much without her, it bluntly sucked. After the game they all shook hands in the orderly manner, although the Sharks were clearly sore losers. Alisha walked up to Theresa.

"So, bet cha think your pretty great, eh? Well pretty doesn't work the runway, sunshine. Go ask your boyfriend - go see that your victory is nothing if your not laying him over. You're pathetic, and I hope one day I get to hurt you," she said cruelly, and spat at her.

Theresa didn't really know if she was actually talking about Jay or if it was just a lucky guess. _It's not like he's your boyfriend anyway_ she thought to herself as she wiped spit from her cheek. She saw the other team board the bus, complaining. It made her smile that they had won, but that girl's comment just reminded her of things she had not yet figured out. And, to be frank, it unnerved her that someone could say that they wanted to hurt her. Alisha was starting to make Theresa think of Cronus.

xoxoxo

A chant rang throughout in the ladies change room. It was classic after a win the that, seeing as mostly all the girls in on the field hockey team where cheerleaders for the men's sports teams as well. Theresa and Atlanta were to busy fighting a crazed God of Time to do much of anything else.

"Good game girls!" Cambria said above the chatter as everyone stopped to listen to what she would have to say. She smirked at the excitement of her team. She too was not fond of cheer leading, much like the two teen heroes.

As everyone changed, the room began to clear out. Soon enough, the two titans were left there alone.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Yes, there _was_no purpose in this chapter, but now I have edited it to make it decent and introduce a piece of the plot! Also, did you or did you not like Atlanta's little speech about "waking up living"??? Hmm? I'll give you a hint, Theresa is about to "wake up" very, very soon, and hopefully how will surprise you. **

**RxR **

**Always,**

**the fates of love**


	3. I Don't Want To Miss You

**Hi everyone! So, the edited version of "Wake Up Living" chapter 3 commences... Enjoy lol and if you've noticed that I cut my talking to a minimum, that's because I know you want to read, and not hear me ramble all day, because I do love to ramble :) ****Also, I want to say that once I'm done editing, around chapter 7 when I will resume writing the story, I'll start to talk again and explain everything out as we near the end of this particular story.**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own COTT - I own at least seven other stories of my creation though, and this one, but not Jay, Theresa, Atlanta, Archie, Odie, Herry, or Neil, nor even Cronus. I own Alisha and Cambria too (but not the real life versions of them: my best friend Aleisha, and my faithful cousin/editor/gypsy Steph, who have both remained awesome when helping me fight the evil God of Life lol jk)

**WARNING: This is a revised copy of the original "Wake Up Living", a COTT fanfic by the fates of love. All chapters from here on out with this label have been revised to fit the new version of this story, and until such time that they do, they have not. **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The two girls sat without purposes in the change room. Silence - a supposedly golden thing - wasn't really what either one, especially Theresa, wanted. Time to wonder on thoughts that didn't want to be wondered about. Now that conversation about the games events had been stifled, there was nothing to talk about.

"So... did you, you know.. talk?" Atlanta stumbled. She really wasn't too good with words, and to be wise with them was a rare and seldom occurrence that had happened only on special occasions. "Uh... no," Theresa said quietly. Her words barely came out of her mouth in her tiny whisper, which showed her shame in that she couldn't even talk to her own friend, her leader. Even when they had multiple classes together, and were seated right beside each other, they didn't talk. Not today.

"Well hey, guess what?" Atlanta said in a suddenly perky tone, "Archie asked me to the dance!" She continued rambling in a singing voice, unawares that she had begun to happy dance around the locker room. "This is actually kinda fast for him don't you think? I mean, it's just nice and after that whole thing with Scamander and the river, it's just a nice feeling-"

"Yeah, it is Atlanta," Theresa interjected, not in anger or spite, but just in a hurry.

"So... has Jay asked you yet because, I mean, I'm not even going to a dance unwillingly without you," Atlanta pointed out.

"No"

"Oh, well... uh... do you think he will?" she asked worriedly, afraid to go to a dance alone with a boy, even if it was just Archie, cause he was more than "just Archie" to her.

"No. I think he's avoiding me," Theresa said hopelessly. Atlanta began to look a little panicked.

"But I'm still coming, no worries," Theresa added. Atlanta's wrinkles disappeared in an instant.

"Well, hey lets go get something to wear to the dance!" Atlanta said, half fearing for her life at what this would mean.

"You... uh... ok! You, uh, read my mind! Yeah, that's it!" Theresa's mind was well away from this topic, Atlanta knew.

"Come on, the guys are waiting"

xoxoxo

"Oh please you guys take forever!" Neil complained. "Whats this _we_shit?! It's all her!" Atlanta shouted frustratedly, mockingly pointing to Theresa.

"Oh yeah, because you know it takes me forever to get my bag outta my locker. I'm not even changed buddy," Theresa argued. Jay instantly felt in need of a nice, long, _frozen_ shower. He wasn't really in the mood for having images of Theresa dance around in his head wildly.

_Flashback_

_All the guys were at Jays locker, waiting for Theresa and Atlanta after the game. Archie was bragging about him FINALLY asking Atlanta to the dance._

_"You guys totally should have seen it! And I was all 'You were amazing' and she was all 'Awe, no your amazing Archie' then I was all 'So babe, crashing with me to the dance?'_

_"Yeah more like 'Hey Atlanta, you were, uh, really great out there'" Odie put in, in a stuttering tone._

_"And she said 'Hey, thanks Arch'" Neil added. "And then you said 'Well, hey, crazy thought, would you, maybe, uh, like to go to the dance with me?" Herry said finally._

_"The point is, she said yes!" Archie argued. "Well hey, what about Jay?" Oh Neil just HAD to ask!_

_"About Jay huh?" Jay said. "You. ask. Theresa. to. dance?" Odie said slowly in a caveman voice, thinking that Jay was that oblivious to what was going on. "Oh, uh, well," everyone looked at him and rolled their eyes at the 'beat around the bush' attempt. "No" He said bluntly._

_"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get there SOME day!" Archie said while laughing almost menacingly at his best friend. "As I recall, Archie, Jay has went WAY further than you ever have! He's probably got someone in bed, and you've got, lemme check, none," Odie remarked proudly of his friend, who, for some reason, everyone on the team saw as some kind of undercover player._

_"Well he still doesn't have a date for the dance, and that's my argument!" Archie fired back._

_"What's the big deal?" Herry asked. "Yeah, I mean it's just a stupid dance. It's not like it's prom!" Neil said, as though it made a huge distinction to everyone else._

_"It's a dance, and another chance for, a lot," Archie said, voice thick of triumph and ego, turning his head to look at Jay, who looked away. They all had started to walk down the hallway._

_"Hey, uh, thanks for the save. I think," Jay whispered to Odie._

_"Don't thank me Jay, really. If you don't make a move, after the dance Archie'll be getting chicken pen, and you'll be getting chicken scratch, zip, zilch, nada, shquat!" He answered in a less-than-quiet tone._

_"Oh yeah, cause that'll be the day when Mr. Jay doesn't get his man... er... woman," Neil said._

So yes, Jay was not in the mood for thinking about Theresa, clothes on, or not! He didn't even want to look at her. And this became a problem when everybody got out of the truck at the brownstone.

Everyone got out, and Theresa went to open the door to the brownstone. Everybody went into the house and Jay was just going in when Theresa tripped over the doormat! She fell over and onto Jay, who also fell. She forced out a worried sorry, and helped him up.

"Uh, thanks" Jay said, dusting himself off. "Are you ok," she began. "Nevermind Theresa, I'm fine," Jay replied. That's when a small hint of disappointed hurt crossed her face. It wasn't even long enough for Jay to recognise whether it was real or not.

Everyone was scattered between the kitchen and living room, but Theresa departed to her room, saying she was going to go check on something. It was then that Jay was in an even worse mood.

He sat down on the couch, only to be disrupted by Atlanta. She walked definitely up to him and smacked him hard on the shoulder. "What the Hades did you do that for," she said angrily.

"What did I do?!" Jay shouted back.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?! You just royally offended Theresa," Atlanta pointed out.

"How does that make any sense, she's the one who fell on me!"

"Yeah, but you just bluntly pushed her away when she was worried about you! Just like you always do to her, because your so afraid of people getting hurt that your too afraid to let anyone in!" Atlanta shouted, louder than he had. The room went silent as the two heroes friends watched them verbally battle. Atlanta didn't care if she caused a scene, this was her friends relationship that was taking a beating and she was finally going to stop watching and take some action.

Jay thought about what she had said for a moment, and he thought that she was right, so he left.

"What was that about?" Neil asked obliviously, "Whata buncha drama".

xoxoxox

_...The streetlights bow..._  
_...the traffic sings..._  
_...Think about how many times..._  
_...love changes lanes..._

Theresa sat in her room, door shut tight. She was assuming that everyone would be downstairs celebrating the win, and she _did _intend on joining them. She had decided that maybe Jay was to much trouble for her to handle at the moment, so she would wait and maybe she would try again later, like a blocked cellphone call. She walked to her closet and opened it, simply looking for jeans and a t-shirt, to escape the grub and grime of her field hockey uniform. As soon as she did, she continued in getting changed. A knock on her door disrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, Theresa, can we talk?" Jay said through the thickness of the door. Theresa resumed pulling her top over her head, and once she was clothed, open the door.

_...Maybe my love wrecks everything..._  
_...Maybe emptiness is key..._

"Nevermind Jay, I'm fine," she said, repeating his words of earlier with a dismissive tone. Confusion struck his face at her sudden bluntness, but he thought that maybe later they would talk. She went on her way out of her room, and down the stairs.

_...I was standing in your doorway hoping one day you'd be mine..._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Like I said, chapter 3!!! So, I hope you all enjoyed, and I hope that it didn't completely suck!! Also realized its more of a bridge for chapters 2 and 4, but it's all good lol. ****Now go and review, my friends lol for I am waiting hahaha**

**RxR**

**Cheers**

**the fates of love**


	4. Hurray

**Hello! So, if I knew what virtual cookies were you'd all get a basket full! But anyhow, I got a memo from _love is an understatement_, and they said to have more detail and make the story less sad. Well, I'm giving this story a detail upgrade, but this will go the way it goes, I can't promise it won't be sad. Things are looking up for the young heroes, but still, I make no promises that you will like the ending I have in mind...  
****  
So please read! And enjoy now, chapter four!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own COTT, Froot Loops, or TnA's dresses. I own every prank, and the dress upgrades lol

**WARNING: This is a revised copy of the original "Wake Up Living", a COTT fanfic by the fates of love. All chapters from here on out with this label have been revised to fit the new version of this story, and until such time that they do, they have not. **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The night of loud music and sugar-loaded soda quickly dawned into morning of another boring day, that was followed but Wednesday. It was now Thursday and the dance was tomorrow. Saturday was also the beginning of three weeks god-free! Busy, busy_, _busy were the seven heroes.

xoxoxox

Theresa and Atlanta blazed down the early morning road in Theresa's burning red sports car. And although Atlanta was _not _happy to be roaming the open road at 7am, there was no one she would rather be here with than Theresa, if not only for the help she would provide in finding the dress that would blow Archie away.

Her thoughts where interrupted by a firm screech as the car came to a stop outside _Cornerstones Market Mall._It was Theresa's favorite mall, and according to Neil, was home to the best brand-name bargains! Oh. joy. ...not.

"Come on Lana," Theresa said, as her flaming hair tried to fly out of its binding hair tie, "we're gonna miss all the good stuff if we just sit here".

"And we wouldn't want that," Atlanta groaned sleepily as she got out of the car. "I seriously didn't think you where gonna drag me along. I'm not wearing a dress".

"Oh, but you_ have_to," Theresa chimed, "it's a dance! Not like formal, but this school doesn't have formal, which sucks and they said you have to dressformallyanywayandthere'ssnowonthegroundandthatwhyit'sawinterdanceand-"

"Jeez Theresa! slow down, you don't havta be sucha motor-mouth this early in the morning. I have super speed, not super speech," Atlanta complained, "that's Odie's job". She pouted as if to emphasizing her protest.

"Oh kwitcherdamnbellakin and shut it," Theresa groaned, heaving Atlanta through the large glass doors.

xoxoxox

Archie lay awake in his bed, tired by yet another sleepless night. He awoke to a shrieking, girlish scream a while ago. As he investigated, all he found was Neil snoring loudly, and dismissed the scream as his, as he was far to tired to think. But now he had given up on going back to sleep for another hour, so he went downstairs, aimless of what to do.

Odie was there, at the kitchen table, eating soggy Froot Loops and typing slowly on the his laptop. _Gross! Who would eat that! Ok, other than Herry! Well, now I know._

"Hey Odie" Archie said, as cheery as he could. "Oh, hey Archie. Cereal?" Odie asked pushing a soggy bowl toward Archie. "Uh...no thanks, I'm good" he replied, reaching for an apple instead. "Baseball?" he asked in return, mouth full of apple bits. "I'm gonna see if my Sox are playing today," he said in a macho tone that made Odie chuckle.

"Aren't they out again?" he asked.

"Shut up!" Archie whined, chucking what was left of the apple at Odie's fro. "Well, that ruins that! Wanna go prank Neil?!" Archie bounced.

"Archie! Your random acts of intelligence never cease to amaze me! Lets!" Odie replied.

"Lets what?" Neil asked casually and uninterested as he appeared out of no where. He had impeccable timing.

"That ruins that," Archie said.

"Well since your done with that nonsense, why don't you find something useful to do and prank the girls? Or Jay. And did you hear those weird noises last night?! Ugh it was annoying," Neil complained, "totally ruined my beauty sleep".

"Hehey! Great idea Neil!" Archie agreed, "Jay would freak!"

"I'm more interested in the weird noises?" Odie prodded, "Screams?"

"Who cares, I heard 'em too, and it turned out to just be Neil," Archie laughed, a little annoyed.

"Kay, well I swear it wasn't me," Neil argued. Odie pondered the possibilities. "I believe you Neil," Odie said, "but seriously, I heard screams last night too".

"And when I came to check on you, you were sleeping!" Archie said , "now lets get back to the pranking of the leader, ignore these random and obvious facts, and get on it already!"

"You two go ahead," Odie said," I'm checking this out! This is too weird!"

"Ya I need some hydration," Neil added, "see ya at school Archie". He grabbed a bottle of water and left the room, no doubt to go tan in the weak morning light. With nothing better to do, Archie gave up on his vague prank idea.

"So, what are thinking happened Odie," he asked.

A grin appeared on "The Brain"'s face.

xoxoxox

"Ok, _soooo_..." Atlanta said nervously, "what would you call _that_?!"

"I call that a bad day waiting," Theresa replied.

The two redheads had been to exactly three stores, and they all checked out. "Well that one at Laura looked good on you at least," Atlanta said. "Uh, no. I looked like a slut, it was _waaaay _too short! And the red sequins were just horrible!" Theresa said. Atlanta was having a hard time dealing with Theresa on this particular morning. She loved her best friend like a sister, but Theresa was a hard shopper. After they got their dresses they were off to school. They had like, forty-five minutes until homeroom. The school wasn't far, but Atlanta was afraid Theresa wouldn't leave without _something_! And she was still worried about the current Jay situation.

"Come on Theresa, we have to go eat. Homeroom is in a half hour," Atlanta said frustratedly. She looked at Theresa, only to see that she was looking ahead of her at, wait for it, another dress! This one was much different than the ones that she had seen Theresa try on.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna try this one," she said excitedly. She found a size and ran off to the change rooms. Then, something caught Atlanta's eye. And it was, yes, a dress! She took an innocent step forward, and looked to see if anyone had seen. She dashed off behind Theresa.

...

Theresa stepped out of the change room to see the dress on her. It fell to her ankle-height and had a cut edge layer that started the height of her knees that themselves were covered in fabric. The dress itself was a dark velvet green.

It was then that she saw Atlanta, stepping cautiously out of the cubical beside her. She was clad in a long, simple, _strapless_, black dress. It fell to the same height as Theresa's dress, but had no layers and instead had golden vines designed along the back.

"Wow," Theresa said, " Atlanta, I'm impressed! That looks great on you!"

"I like yours too! But, uh, hey, 'nought cleavage?!" Atlanta was right, the dress did have some, uh, areas of intangibility.

"Oh, the zipper!" Theresa exclaimed. It had come undone. Atlanta quickly zipped it up to find that the boob problem had been solved.

"Perfect?" she asked.

"Perfect!"

xoxoxox

"So, you asked Atlanta eh?" Theresa said defiantly, laughing. "Uh, yeah, why did Jay ask you yet?" Archie asked, eager with a hint of arrogant. "No! Was he going to? Please tell me!" Theresa pleaded. Archie laughed, and walked away. How cold.

**(N/A just for fun lol)**

xoxoxox

_...Not afraid to say the things that I am thinking..._

Jay walked up to the rooftop, and looked out upon the beautiful, star speckled sky. Then, his eyes fell upon the strawberry blond, sitting curled up in a chair. He felt his heart beating in his chest like a flash of lighting. _Cool it Jay, you're a leader, not a follower. If you get intimidated by just a girl, how can you not be intimidated by Cronus. You can do it! You battle the forces of evil daily and you can't even get up the guts to ask her out... Then again, she's not just a girl, is she?_ He stepped forward, and watched as Theresa turned around, startled.

"Hey," he said, trying with all he had to remain calm. "Oh. Hi," she muttered.

_...Cause I'm not dreaming of you..._

He thought about the things that had happened of recent. He decided that if he wasn't going to tell her, really tell her, how sorry he was, and how he felt about her, he was at least going to ask her to the dance. Of this he was certain.

"Uh, Theresa?" Jay began. "Huh?" Theresa asked.

"Uh, mind if I sit down?" he said. _Oh smooth Jay, really smooth!_He mentally chastised himself. "You going to the dance?" he asked.

"For Atlanta's sake, I kinda have to," she laughed.

"Ok. So you aren't going with someone?"

"Nope, you?"

"Naw. You wanna go?" he asked. "As a last resort, or are you actually asking me?" she said a little sarcastically. "Do you seriously think you'd be a last resort?!" Jay asked, surprised.

"Lately," she replied. "Well, then maybe I'll just see you there," he open-mindedly spoke. But she could hear the hurt in his words.

"Yeah" she said. He got up and walked toward the door, feeling flatly rejected.A couple moments passed and Theresa heard the door open again.

"That was harsh," Theresa heard someone say, "I heard it all". Theresa turned to see Neil, leaning on the closed door, very smugly. "He likes you so much Theresa, you obviously have no idea! How could you even think of yourself as a last resort," he said and sat in the chair Jay had just left.

"Ok, obviously you're the one who's not seeing this, he must hate me now! I mean, I turned him down for the dance, the thing at the beach was _not_ good-" she was cut off by him.

"You have to make it up to him, to show that you're sorry for thinking that. He could never hate you _even_ if he wanted to. He loves you _way _too much to do something stupid like that! He might even love you more than I love me!" Neil said, exploring the possibility of the last thought.

"Well I don't know?! What do I do? I like him too, but I'm to scared to ask him!" she explained. "He _loves _you Theresa! Take him to the dance. He _might _forgive you".

"Thanks Neil. You know, if Jay knew, he'd love you too".

"Yeah, but I think I've come to an understanding with everyone here that you don't gotta love me for me to be loved," he said and laughed as he left.

"Yeah" she replied. Again she thought about Jay. _That's exactly what I'm gonna do s_he thought.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Gotta love Neil!! He might be an arrogant, self-absorbed, _narcissistic, _ego-maniac, but we love him! Hope you enjoyed the edits :)**

**RxR**

**Cheers**

**the fates of love**


	5. Destination

**Hey everybody! No, I'm not dead! I just have writers block. ****Fun Fact of the Day: Another name for this chapter is "Where I Belong", because of the song choice title, which still fits. ****And by the way, for those of you keeping track, this chapter is containing Thursday night and then much of Friday - not the best parts though (snicker teh he he) **

**So... without further delay, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not-eth own-eth COTT-eth, and after-eth read-ething this chapter-eth, you shall-eth know why!  
......-eth

**WARNING: This is a revised copy of the original "Wake Up Living", a COTT fanfic by the fates of love. All chapters from here on out with this label have been revised to fit the new version of this story, and until such time that they do, they have not. **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Neil walked down the hallway. He was doubting very much so that Theresa had cared for _any _of what he had just said. A new plan formed in his head just as he ran into Jay. Oh yes, he had very good luck indeed!

_Could this be the road?  
Is this everything that I've been searching for?  
'Cause every voice in my head keeps telling me,  
That I might be close_

"Hey, Jay? I heard you were having girl troubles? Care to explain?" he asked cockily. "Uh, not really Neil," he pushed away.

"Jay, don't doubt yourself! Would you seriously rather _I _asked Theresa for you?!" Neil asked. "NO! No thanks Neil, I've got it under control!" Jay said, nervousness seeping through his disguise of 'I Got This'. His face started to blush immensely. Neil wasn't accustomed to hearing the voice of the group leader so, so _blushy. _For lack of a better word, he was just more used to hear that voice make snappy come backs at Cronus. _Oh well, I just have to drag it out the hard way then!_

"Jay, either you tell me, or I tell Theresa! You pick!"

"Neil, I just don't wanna blow this! It might as well be an art form to ask a girl out! If not, it's sure a delicate state! She thought she was my last resort! WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE BE MY LAST RESORT! I haven't ever asked another person out in my entire life, let alone to this dance!" Jay said furiously.

The silence between the two boys was deafening. Then they heard a door slam behind them.

"Ok _NOW _we're getting somewhere!" Neil said excitedly.

Jay let out a huge, flustered sigh. "Neil, I don't want to do this right know, I'll see you in the morning," he paused, "and if that was Theresa you had better bet your lucky stars that I don't smash your face in tomorrow!"

_My face?!!!!!_

And with that, Jay left.

...

_My face!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ Neil though as reality kicked in. Neil was very indeed concerned with the well being of his face. Thinking quickly - for Neil at least - his brilliant plan formed. He ran straight to Theresa's room, flinging open the door.

"Theresa!" he shouted. She turned to him with tear filled eyes and glowered at him angrily.

"Go away" she said flatly.

"No!" he shouted. This whole thing was headed to the place where his face would _not_ look good.

"Why not!" she shouted.

"Theresa, what exactly did you hear?" he asked. "Oh I don't know, something along the lines of: 'Its sure a delicate state! She thought she was my last resort! WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE BE MY LAST RESORT!'" she said furiously. "He's right, I'm no bodies last resort, and if he wants delicate, then he should have came instead of you because I think I'm gonna cry," she finished, sobbing again. She fell back onto her bed and put her head on her pillow.

"Go away, there's nothing you can do," she said, "he hates me and thats pretty clear".

Neil saw three options then:

1. Leave and tell Jay that Theresa's crying her eyes out over him.

2. Tell Theresa that Jay wanted to ask her out, and sent him to tell her because he thought they were in a delicate state _in their relationship._

OR finally

3. Ask her out himself, like he had threatened to Jay.

**(N/A I almost picked number 2, but number 3 was just soooo perfect!!!)**

And it was then that he saw number three as the easiest way out of this mess.

"Actually," he said with a smirk, "there is - _I_ can take you to the dance. It would be my honour, Jay doesn't know what he's missing!" He was really pleased with his now fool-proof plan, it was hard to hide the giggles.

"Really?!" she said with both hopefulness and surprise. She really wasn't expecting _that_! "Um, ok Neil," she decided. It was better than going alone. "Great, I'll see ya tomorrow," he said confidently as he left the room.

And all of the sudden, Theresa began to wonder.

_You're just a step away  
Am I wasting far too many days?  
Facing love up there twenty floors above  
With the ground so close  
_  
xoxoxox

Odie crept upstairs to the kitchen. He finally had all the evidence. He would have to call a house meeting for this one, it was just too good! But, for the time being he would sit and look up some good music, and play some video games.

He looked over to see Theresa coming into the kitchen from the living room. "Morning Odie," she said cheerfully. "Good morning to you," he replied.

"Heard you got some good, mildly embarrassing, information to share?" she smirked.

"Well, don't you?" he inquired back.

"None of your business," she laughed, pouring herself some cereal, "Neil and Archie I take it?" she continued as she heard those two exact boys make their way downstairs, laughing. Oh yes, telepathy had its perks! Not that she needed it to figure out that those two were up to something.

"We have no such thing to report!" Neil said. Theresa just scoffed.

"Hey, don't you mouth off to me," Neil smirked, "I know whats going on inside your head, remember". He pulled a fake evil laugh, then searched the fridge for what Herry hadn't yet taken hostage in his stomach. Archie and Odie didn't much care about what either of them said, and ignored their going-no-where conversation.

"So, Odie, did you get it?" Archie asked, starting his own pointless chatter. "I did," Odie replied happily, "and it's better than we thought!"

"I'm listening," Theresa interrupted.

"Mmmmkay, then you'll listen when I tell you all about it later," Odie laughed, "it'll be better if we can all share in this laugh riot". Theresa rolled her eyes.

"Fine then, so what are you two up to this morning?" she directed to Neil and Archie.

"As if we'd tell you," Archie laughed, at the same time in which Neil explained. "We took like, I dunno, half of Jays clothes and gave them the hot water and bleach treatment," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders with added smirk.

"Uhhhhhh!!!!!! Neil!!! Jeez, way ta blow cover," Archie exclaimed. Again Neil shrugged.

"Wow! That's really... really low," Theresa laughed, "poor Jay".

"Feeling sympathetic, are we?" Archie asked mockingly, "you gonna go run off and tell your boyf-"

"Don't. say. it." Theresa said sharply, "Or I swear I will hurt you, Archibald!"

"That's not my name," Archie laughed.

"Doesn't matter," Theresa smirked, "and in case you didn't know, I'm not dating him, and I'm not even going to the dance with him. I'm going with Neil," Theresa finished. The room suddenly went quiet. "Have you got brain damage?" Archie asked with mock concern.

"No," Theresa answered simply, "it's just Neil... there's gotta be something good about him". Everyone snickered.

"Hey!" Neil protested.

"Neil, she's _trying_ to compliment you," Archie laughed, "I, however, am not when I say you are a dork and a blabber-mouth!"

"And that's why I cut n' paste your head onto pictures of the pope on your facebook," Neil laughed quietly to himself.

"YOU DO WHAT?!!!" Archie screamed, furious.

"Gotta go!" Neil said as he raced out of the room. Archie looked like he was going to run after him, then stopped as Neil ran away, not looking back.

"That oughta keep him busy. I'll get him later," he said satisfied. He grabbed an apple out of the fridge and sat down at the table. It was then that Atlanta rushed into the room with super-duper speed, grabbing said apple.

_My purple haired dork is now apple-less. Whoa, uh! Not my purple haired dork, the purple haired dork. Yeah that's better! Now eat _she planned in her head. "You know Arch, we should call you 'Archie Appleseed'!" she said, taking a bit out of the apple, "you eat too many of these," she said, thrusting the bitten apple into his hands.

"I do not!" Archie said.

"You do!"

"I don't!"

"You do!"

"I don't!"

_Crunch!!_

"Hey! Really, you gotta eat it right outta my hand? What am I, your babysitter?"

"Whatever Archie, I'm only eight months younger than you!"

"I hate it when they fight," Theresa chuckled to Odie, mouth full of frosted flakes, as Archie and Atlanta continued bickering. She couldn't help but laugh as Atlanta continually reached for the apple. Theresa was pretty sure that Atlanta knew there were more apples in the fridge, but it was the _who _in that scenario that was the apple of Atlanta's eye - no pun intended.

"Well I'm gonna jog to school" Archie said.

"Well then I'll join ya and we can pick this up!" Atlanta countered.

"Ok, just - just be back in the living room for six before the dance!" Odie shouted and grinned. The remaining heroes shook their heads as the other two left the room.

xoxoxox

_Here I stand at this destination  
Now I see you with my eyes wide open_

The day was long and useless to most of the gang. _Most, _seeing as Jay counted for something. Atlanta and Archie, Cambria and Herry (Jay _thought_), and finally Odie and his light stand from which he would be controlling the light show for the dance. No way was Jay counting Neil and Theresa any sort of couple!

He was wondering why the hell Theresa had even said yes to that guy anyway! I mean come on! She had said herself over a year ago how terrible it was that they had pinned their hopes on a guy who's chef virtue was that he was in love with himself!

_I don't want to let you go  
'Cause everything I know tells me_

When he got up that morning, no one was at the brownstone. Odie's moped was gone, Archie and Atlanta's running shoes, and Herry's truck. So, Jay walked. He ignored his friends for most of the day, except in his English class, where he had to work on a literature project with them. Other than that, the day was passing ever quickly, Jay noted, and before long they were all crammed into Herry's truck (with the exception of Odie), and headed back home.

And when they arrived, the stillness had not passed. Himself, Herry, Neil (Urgggh!!), and Odie had all went to put on their tuxes. Theresa and Atlanta had disappeared into a cloud of makeup, and Archie had been taken captive in Odie's room with the rest of the guys to be dressed in his own tux and tortured, uh, _tutored _in dance knowledge by Odie. As if he even knew what he was doing.

xoxoxox

"Atlanta hold still or so help me I will curl your ear with this stupid machine!" Theresa threatened. She had been lucky enough to get Atlanta into the shower to de-gel her hair, but as for getting it gelled to a different style, well, she looked, unfinished.

"I don't see why this is necessary!" she complained. "Ouch! Why did you just poke my head?!!" she asked. "Because I'm not finishing you until we zip this dress up" Theresa said. There was a pull, and lots of air to intake before the dress finally zipped up. She looked absolutely radial.

Theresa, too, looked glorious. Both her and Atlanta had put on their dresses they bought only yesterday. Theresa was clad in her mossy green and Atlanta in her dark black and golden vines. Theresa had offered Atlanta tons of jewelery to wear with her dress, but she only wore some gold bracelets, for fear that she would look a little trashy should she take all of what was offered to her.

With her own dress, Theresa chose a silver bracelet and necklace. Neither of the girls were fancy, but the didn't just leave any cheap trailer park. This _was _the biggest winter dance the school hosted, even if Theresa's date _was _a dud.

All that was left was Atlanta's hair.

xoxoxox

"Ok, so now that we all have dates," Odie said, eyeing Archie, Jay, and Neil "or rather, two out of three have dates, we're gonna need these," he finished. "Please don't be condoms, please don't-be-condoms" Neil pleaded. Everyone eyed him strangely, similarly to looking at an alien. After they all came home from school, Odie called all the guys downstairs to _discuss _this _dance. _He wasn't doing a very good job, but he though he was doing a decent thing in itself by letting the girls go upstairs for his large _statement. _Odie typed in a couple phrases on his laptop. He turned around proudly to watch the views of the four boys in front of him. They all had crazy, wide-eyed, horror stricken looks on their faces.

"NOOOOO!!!!!" Neil screamed.

"What?!" Odie asked. He turned to see the images on his computer. "Whoops! That's uh, not for you!" he pushed away.

"Odie," Archie groaned, "we did not want to have to wonder why that thing just showed us condoms!" he said.

"Well, she's got some, issues" Odie said. "She sensitive! I meant to pull up _corsages_, you know, the other all important c-word dance item". This statement earned him many alienated looks from the peanut gallery. "Look, it is simple" Odie began.

"No it isn't and don't you dare say that," Jay muttered, "Theresa is going to the dance with Neil! I mean, no offence, but really???" he questioned. With that he departed to finish tieing his tie, figuring he could spare Odie's knowledge this once.

"What the hell Neil, you told him you were taking Theresa to the dance?" Herry asked, "Well that was just a brilliantly, border-line STUPID thing to do".

"I didn't! Theresa must have" Neil explained.

"I did no such thing!" the strawberry blond shot back, "And by the way, we don't need corsages," she said simply, "or condoms, thank. you. Odie!"

It was at this melting point that the whole room started into a giant fit of talkative bubble over. And it was indeed then that Odie's ears had heard enough. _When in doubt, say something completely uncalled for and completely proven with audio/visual!_

"Herry slept with Alisha!!!!!!"

And just as expected, the room went silent. Archie was the first to be heard again.

"Big bang, eh?" he snickered.

"I better go pick up Cambria," Herry used as an excuse, making a quick exit-stage-left.

"I'm gonna go finish Atlanta's hair".

"Yeah gotta go put on my tux".

"I'll help you!"

_Thank the Gods, my room is silent once again _Odie thought. Then he realized, he needed help! "Hey!! Can you guys help me with my tux???"

And so, it wouldn't be long before the party started.

_You're where I belong_

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Wow! At first I thought it might be unfinshed, but then I realized that it's pretty darn good, at least for some freelance fan writer in their sweatpants!!! Btw, don't hate me for the Neil thing, it all works out, believe me. **

**Thanks again to Aleisha/Alisha. Even if I made you the bitch, I made you the plot too lol**

**And to Cambria/Steph, sorry that your story bf just got drunk and totally cheated on you. Jeez, at least now we know what the scream was... but how did Odie know??? That you will all find out soon!! :)**

**RxR, only 4 more chapters left lol!!!!!**

**Cheers**

**the fates of love**


	6. Run, Run, Run

**_***PLEASE READ!!!!***  
_  
****Hey everybody!!  
So I have been working my hind off trying to write some stories off line. I'm currently working on a nation wide writing contest entry, so I've got my hands full!! But I have decided that it is mandatory that I finish Wake Up Living, and While I Was Sleeping, and any other stories that I can. I will also consider it mandatory that I update BOSH as much as possible, cause I have so many chapter ideas!!  
Over the last few weeks, I have been examining this story. The other day I came across its first draft. Awwwwwwe!!! I realized that its been a year since I found this site and started writing Wake Up Living on a blow-up mattress on summer vacation!!!!! **

**So I went back to the other chapters and edited them up for your entertainment! There done, and so is this one, hence the:**

_**WARNING: This is a revised copy of the original "Wake Up Living", a COTT fanfic by the fates of love. All chapters from here on out with this label have been revised to fit the new version of this story, and until such time that they do, they have not. **_

**I'm not putting this label on any chapters from here on out, cause they will all be in accordance with this and the newly edited previous chapters.**

**Another thing, as I said, this is the chapter where you really need to know why I named the chapters the way I did and... drum roll......** **Each chapter title is inspired by and named after a song on Kalan Porter's 2007 CD "Wake Up Living", which I stole the title of for this story, duh! If you Google the songs, you will find that the mood of each song is sort of portrayed in each chapter.** **And THAT is why I want you to Google the songs when you read each chapter because you'll get to experience more of the chapter by doing so!!! (Especially when chapter 8 'Beauty' is posted lol just a hint!)**

**I'm sorry this opener ran a _tad _long lol!!**

**Enjoy!!! At least try, cause this chapter was so hard to think up!!**

**Disclaimer, or "Wow its been a while since I said this": **No no owny COTT!! Lol, but wish-eth I did!!... Oh and I also don't own Wake Up Living album, or any of Kalan Porters songs! Again, but wish-eth I did!!! =)

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

The day was dawning into evening as the seven teenage heroes walked down the front steps of the brownstone. All was quiet on the street; no neighbours out, no bustling high school-goers were to be seen. The night was still.

But off, not far in the distance, they heard the soft pounding of music. The seven began walking.

"Why the hell didn't anybody wear a jacket??" Atlanta asked, shivering, "It's like 30 below out here!" Atlanta looked innocently to Archie, who was taken aback by her strange comment. She loved the cold weather!

"Uh, here, Atlanta, have my jacket?" he said in almost a question, holding his suit jacket out to her. She took it, looking grateful. A few moments passed, when Atlanta quietly looked over to Theresa and smiled. The "I'm cold" trick! Theresa was impressed!

"So Odie," Herry said, waiting before going on, "what _do_ you know?"

"I know that Archie heard screaming, and I know Alisha screamed when you finally went sober and threw her sorry ass outta the house," Odie replied smugly, "and that she came back the next night to compensate, which is when I caught her making out all over you". Herry cracked his knuckles.

"Little buddy, I don't wanna hurt you. I just wanna say that if anyone finds out, you're dead," Herry threatened. Neil spoke up.

"But I heard Cambria shouting at you over the phone-" he began.

"Like I said," Herry bluntly argued, "I don't wanna hurt you little buddy".

"Speaking of which," Odie started, trying to avoid some painful bruises, "what happened to Cambria??"

"She's meeting me at the dance," Herry said glumly.

"I have a feeling that there's an '_and_' on the end of that, but I'm gonna leave it," Odie decided, speeding up only slightly to catch up to the lone walker, Jay.

"How you doing Jay?" Odie asked when they were clearly ahead from the rest of the group.

"Neil's a stupid little backstabbing- uh, nevermind. We're a team, and I can't be getting on his case," he started miserably, clearly not wanting to forfeit the chance to verbally bash Neil. "Why am I even jealous he asked Theresa? I mean its not like _I _like her or anything," he said, sarcasm thick in his voice, little did he realize.

"Jay" Odie said - quite forcefully too, "you need to get a grip man, if you don't wanna lose her cause you heading there with all your denial and shes fed. up. man," he finished. He stared at Jay a while as they walked. Realisation came to Jay. _Odie's not gonna lie to you. Stop sitting on your sorry rear end saying 'poor me' and do something before Theresa IS fed up with you, or worse, falls in love with NEIL!!!_

"Ok," Jay said, a smile crossing his face, "so what do I do?"

xoxoxox

The song finished playing, and a whir of bright blue and white light danced around the floor and walls, courtesy of Odie. The dance floor glittered in sparkles of make-'em-up snow, and the mood was that much more intensified when the light was captured by tissue-paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. The loud and anxious teens screamed with delight at the excitement of the songs. Girls in gowns danced with their penguins, everyone happily swaying and bobbing to the beats. When the song changed from rapid to soft, suddenly all were scurrying to find someone they hadn't dance with yet. Be it the boyfriend, the best boy friend, or the friend of a friend of a friend who's a boy. Everyone exchanged partners like they were sweaters. But at the end, when that last song was played, all the girls and all the guys would find who they came with and be together for one dance - even if it was only _that one_.

Six dances. Six _slow _dances. Jay had watched Neil spin and twirl and dazzle Theresa for _six dances! _He spun her around the dance floor flawlessly, being the pedestal that she was shown off on. The spotlight was all hers (well no, there wasn't a spotlight, but she looked fantastic). Jay sat quiet and alone at a table out of view. It was here that he spied on the young teen heroine, watching as light seemed to radiate off her glitter speckled skin. Watching her strawberry gold hair fly around her face. Watching her dress sweep the floor with every motion. Six dances - that meant only one left. The only question was when would it play? And would Jay get to her in time to snatch her from her blond beau?

And that's when the music skidded to a dull whisper of lyrics.

_Do you ever stop to think about,  
lines that run, run, run?  
And fall, past each other,  
on the edge._

Jay sprinted. He jumped up from his seat, moving through the crowd, towards the floor. Sliding between one couple holding hands, he made it to the edge of the tables, where Neil was just about to grab Theresa by the waist...

"Hi!" Jay zoomed in, completely unorthodox. Theresa spun around to look at him. When he saw her face, he was taken aback. She was even more gorgeous in this light, and up close. Her perfect porcelain features were accented by a gentle blush, her eyes lined only by grey liner and pink silver eye shadow. Her eyes were lit with happiness and emerald fire. But when she realised who the boy in front of her was, the fire blew out.

"Oh. Hi Jay," she said plainly. That _really _wasn't the reaction he had hoped for.

"_Jaaaaay_!!!" Neil screamed in delight (for some reason). "Why don't you dance with Theresa? I mean I've already danced with her _soooo_ much!!!!"

"Naw, you know guys, I think I'm just gonna go get some punch," Theresa said, trying her best to avoid looming embarrassment.

"Awesome!!! I'll go get the punch, you two dance!!" Neil said, and quickly fluttered away to watch his plan in motion. When he was out of sight, Theresa turned to leave, only to have Jay grab her by the hand.

"Am I really that horrible of a dancer?" he asked her, smiling. She scowled at him.

"No" she pouted, slouching, and let him drag her onto the dance floor.

They came to a portion of the floor where a pale icy light was fading away. Jay stopped. He stepped closer to Theresa, and tentatively put his hands on her waist. She winced inwardly at this unwanted motion, as she put her hands gracefully on his shoulders. A look of confused displeasure pulled on her face. The look in her eyes showed that she would rather be anywhere right now than here with Jay. He noticed this. Slowly his arms snaked their way around her, in an attempt to pull her that tiny bit closer into his chest. Theresa pressed her palms into his shoulder, warning him to back off.

"Just because we're dancing, doesn't mean we have to socialize," she said bitterly, avoiding his gaze. The words stung her tongue as she spoke them, and strung themselves together uneasily as she struggled between what she thought was right and what she thought was easy. The knots in her stomach threatened to become so tight they would crumple her up like paper from the inside out. Pain struck her like a dull arrow as she beat herself for being so obsessed and so blunt. The only place she could not feel the pain was where Jay's arms burned in a cross on her back, and where her forearms leaned on his chest. There, all she could feel was warmth. The dryness in her eyes became damp as she realized she probably just started another fight. She kept her face away from him.

_You went and found your distance,  
with your plans, plans, plans.  
Wasted time, wasted.  
You make me laugh, before I cry._

Jay leaned his head down to her ear, ignoring the fact that her hands were severely warning him to stay away.

"Why?" he asked simply, with a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Because, we both know that neither one of us want to be here," she started, a boldly looked in his eyes. They subconsciously searched his face for a sign that he knew she was trying hard to betray her true feelings.

"Lets just get it over with," she finished. Venom laced every word she spoke, but as malicious as she sounded, she didn't mean one word. She knew she would fall over if he walked away right now. She knew that he wasn't just fooling around with her, and she knew by the way he was looking at her that he knew the effect of his every move. Jay looked at her for a while, like he was studying what she said, how she was when she said it, how the words effected her more than they did himself. He knew what she said wasn't real; if it was, he would have felt it. But instead, it ran right through him like an aura.

"You don't mean it, do you?" he asked, genuinely curious for the answer. If she did mean it, she was lost. Theresa breathed a heavy sigh, leaning her head back in her dizziness. She didn't know how she would be straight up with the guy who was the cause of her not know which way _was_ up!

"To be honest Jay, I don't know what I mean anymore. The beach was... confusing. And when you said you didn't want to ask me to the dance-"

"I never said that" Jay interrupted, dumbfounded.

_Have you seen the world's been falling down?  
I know you've got the time to care  
But if you want to run, run, run  
If you want to run, run, run_

"You said I would never be your last resort" she countered.

"Yeah," Jay continued, "you'd never come second string, isn't that obvious?" he said shaking his head in disbelief. A smile glided across his face as he realised this issue might just be misunderstood. Theresa stood there, frozen to the floor with happy shock. Her mouth slowly fell open as she thought. After a moment she spoke, a grin from ear to ear on her face.

"So, you wanted to ask me?" she questioned.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. He wanted to say more, but he didn't know how. He just kept nodding and smiling. Together the two of them erupted into a subtle laughter, smiling at each other dumbly. After the laughing at their own stupidity ceased, they continued.

"I'm so sorry Jay," Theresa said in a sigh. Jay shook his head.

"No, I don't know whats going on, but its my fault. The beach thing was totally uncalled for, it started this and then I just made it worse," he admitted. Theresa shook her head no. She continued slow dancing silently. Again, Jay nervously wrapped her up in his arms. But again, she resisted. He looked down at her in question.

"Whats wrong?" he asked quietly bending his head to look more directly at her. Theresa huffed a sigh.

"So, what now?" she asked after a moment, "Are we together? Are we just friends? Where do we go from here?"

Jay thought. For a while he said nothing.

"I don't know," he said, "what do you think?" Theresa took yet another deep breath.

"I don't know!" she shrugged helplessly. Theresa finally admitted defeat. She took a step closer to Jay, resting her forehead against his shoulder. She did not seem to notice when he finally succeeded in embracing her. He leaned his head on top of hers. Slowly the two kept swaying.

Theresa started mumbling something incoherent into Jay's shoulder.

"I don't even know why I bother liking you. I don't know what I'd say if you ever asked me to be your girlfriend. I don't know what I find so amazing about a guy who's so absorbed in what he's doing. Maybe its your smile, or your eyes, or just the way you say what you say. I don't know what I find in that but somehow I can't stop thinking about you every other second and its driving me insane. I'm bordering on obsession and your just making it more confusing without even trying and I know maybe you don't want to hear this but its something I have to say. I don't think its healthy, or even safe to care about someone as much as I care about you". Silence proceeded for a moment as Jay took in what she had whispered to his shoulder.

"And that's why I _can't _be with you. I can't be with you because it isn't safe - and it won't be safe until Cronus is dealt with," he looked at her and smiled, "that's why I care so much about getting _that _over with... because then... I don't know," he shrugged, trailing off.

"Well all I know is that I know you do what you do, and I did what I did, and we said what we said, but I was wondering if maybe at the end of it all if we could maybe find the time to be something," Theresa blurted out - quite fast-paced at that. She smiled comfortingly up at Jay, leaning relaxingly with her arms draped over his shoulders.

Jay smiled at her. Swiftly before he could find the time to think, he leaned down and kissed the tip of Theresa's sparkily nose. When he looked back at her, he saw she was wearing more blush than she had been before.

"Ok," he said, bittersweet though he smiled. On one hand, Theresa would be his someday. On the other hand, someday was after they defeated Cronus. A light went off in his head.

"But you know," Jay whispered into Theresa's ear, "these things can sort of take a while...." he led. He pulled back to see Theresa's face, her reaction. She had been smiling for so long, he hadn't thought her smile could get any brighter. But then again, somehow it had. She leaned into him on the tips of her toes and kissed him sweetly.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**You know, I find it both amazingly romantic and absolutely hilarious how in love Jay is with Theresa! I mean, "watching as light seemed to radiate off her glitter speckled skin"???!!!!! Really, its both a great description, and hilarious to think about what else he thinks sparkles about her!! I laughed so hard when I wrote that line! I hope you all enjoyed it, really, this has to be my favorite chapter so far!!!**

**So, I decided this is gonna be a two part, yes? Next up, ArchiexAtlanta!!!!! WOOOOOO!!! Then somebody falls into the punch!!!!**

**So REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!! (Get it?? Run, Run, Run?? I kill myself!)**

**Your friend and fellow writer,**

**the fates of love**

**Cheers! =)**


	7. Try

**Hey! So I'm here, back again, even though it has been quiet a bit (to my displeasure I assure you) I keep coming back for more it seems lol ****I really have nothing to say today except:**

**Have any Adam Lambert and COTT fans out there ever realized that AxA applies to both Alison Iraheta x Adam Lambert AND Atlanta x Archie! Like holy man lol! ****Sorry, it seems I am on the "Adam Lambert crazy fan super powers" pill today. Been watch stuff on YouTube for most of the morning. But my diverging interests of Glam and COTT have more than enough time for this lol finally the seventh chapter of WUL! And, here in COTT fandom, we all know what seven is representative of...**

**Seven heroes mean seven times the problems and seven times the chapterly fun! Lol wow I'm a dork.**

**Disclaimer: **So, as we probably all know by now (unless of course we haven't read the last six disclaimers for this story!) I DO NOT OWN CLASS OF THE TITANS! (or more accurately class of the seven mortal teenage descents of heroes from Greek Mythology, as elegos-sirinial-shamtul was frank to put it. Otherwise I'd be saying I DO NOT OWN COTSMTDOHFGM lol)

**So, with this I leave to you some AxA for your viewing/reading pleasure.**

**And for those who are now completely confused by my drabble, I'm talking about Archie and Atlanta!**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

_Downtown she's walking alone on the street.  
Won't look in the eye of the stranger she sees.  
She thinks she's alone in a world gone insane.  
What she doesn't know is we all feel the same._**  
**

The slow melody of the presently playing song, mixed with the moderate harmonics and chords of the pending choice, were fast at work putting Atlanta into a deep sleep. For reasons unknown to her, slow music had this affect on her mind: the monotonous lyrics and instrumentals drilling into her head and giving her ample hallucinations to replace the brain cells they stole from her. Listening to such undignified slow tempos, she was sure, could make her go brain-dead, just like most of the teenage girls her age. She said this with the exception of her best friend Theresa, of course.

And just as all previous dances of her life had gone, Atlanta was in the same place she had always stood - the punch bowl, of course. She didn't enjoy admitting that she wasn't the greatest dancer, and she never could find anyone to lead her oh so whimsically onto the floor anyways, even today with Archie as her date. That in itself had been a wonderful and happy surprise to her, but she came with little expectations to actually dance with the boy. Only she knew that he had two left feet as careless as her own. Between this and the drowning music, Atlanta could see sleep falling upon her.

Her eyes gazed over the crowd, watching peacefully the swaying blobs of people who were fast becoming blurrier and hazier. Even Odie's colorful little display could not keep her eyes open. Her eyes fell upon two figures as they closed, Jay and Theresa surprisingly. She couldn't figure out for the life of her how two people so obviously in love had fought for so long only now to be dancing happily in each others grasp. He twirled her around gracefully once more, dipping her and, _OH MY GOD_, Atlanta thought, _DID HE JUST KISS HER NECK?_ Her smile turned to disbelief at the display of outward affection put on by Jay - he who had only the emotion of serious focus. From here it looked more like that "serious focus" was focused on assaulting Theresa's skin! Jeez!

_Hmm, the world gets stranger and stranger everyday_ Atlanta thought, _but, at least their finally happy. Looks like Theresa finally found out what was broken and fixed it!_ Content in seeing her best friend happy under the apparent shower of glitter faked by sparkly curtains strung around the room, Atlanta was ready to let sleep come to her. She was just about to take a nap in the punch bowl, when to her great astonishment, Archie sped up to her side and held her steady. She heard his laugh and it broke the transfixed state she had been put in by the music.

"You ok Lana?" Archie asked casually, snickering almost inaudibly, "Cause I'm pretty sure you have better judgement than to sleep in mango-peach punch". He smiled at his gorgeous best friend, happy to have her by his side, and caught a whiff of her hair, which smelt so indescribably of wild flowers and pine.

"Oh yeah!" Atlanta smiled trying over-excessively to not seem completely bored by the dance. She knew that Archie would probably be disappointed if she wasn't having the absolute greatest time of her life. "I'm just a little tired," she said quickly after stifiling a yawn that threatened to ruin her facade.

"Atlanta, it's only eleven," Archie laughed smiling at her. Secretly, he was wishing for a way out of this snore-fest himself, but he knew how much it meant to Atlanta.

"Do you wanna leave?" he asked hopefully, trying to disguise the longing in his tone.

"Oh no," she said, dismissing the thought and putting on a fake grin, "I wouldn't wanna miss this dance for the world," she stuttered, struggling in her search for convincing words. Archie rolled his eyes subtly at his girlfriend's obvious lack of taste in social events. But he had to laugh again when, no sooner than she had been wide awake, Atlanta was almost fast asleep on her feet again. She took another sway towards the mango-peach doom. Again Archie grabbed her arm, whisking her away from the "ballroom", commonly referred to as the gym.

"Come on, lets go get you some fresh air," he suggested merrily, finally happy to be away from the dance.

xoxoxox

Archie led Atlanta out through the main door of the gym, and down into one of Olympia High School's many hallowed halls. They walked down it almost silently as Atlanta tried to push all thoughts of slow dancing, the dance in general, and especially this dress out of her head. After stepping through a tall marble archway, they entered a courtyard.

It wasn't a large space, really more of a small garden or grove actually. It was flanked on all sides by pillers, which formed shining marble walls around the garden. It was simple and square, the walls giving way to flower beds of trees, shrubs, and small colorful foliage, which then stopped abruptly at a waist-high wall. Within the leftover space sat a small marble fountain and two marble benches flanking it on either side.

"I've never seen this part of the school," Atlanta said, in awe of the beautiful taste of wilderness before her.

"I don't think this is part of the school," Archie whispered deviously, "but I don't think they know that I know it's here". Atlanta was confused, but then realized, noticing that something of this great a beauty could have only been created at the hands of the gods.

"Do you know how to get back?" she asked, laughing in hopes that perhaps her and Archie would be stuck here until someone found them.

"I do," he said smugly, "only person who does, I think". Atlanta stepped further into the courtyard, walking up to one of the benches and sitting down. She gazed briefly up at the wintery, star speckled sky. Atlanta then noticed that, although it was mid-winter, it was neither cold nor snowy within the marble pillers. This was most definately a place of the gods. Archie came and sat down beside her.

"Archie, this is beautiful," Atlanta said quietly, continuing to look at the clear night sky, finding Orion and smiling inwardly. A few silent moments passed.

"So, why did you almost fall asleep in the punch bowl, exactly?" Archie asked, trying hard to make descent conversation. Atlanta laughed.

"Because the music in there was worse than math class!" Atlanta giggled, " I mean, it was just way too slow for me, it just puts me to sleep, literally," she added.

"Really?" Archie asked, "what about the lyrics?" Atlanta shrugged.

"Didn't really notice them," she answered, "I was too busy trying to keep my eyes open".

"That's too bad, they were really poetic, you would have liked them," he smiled. Atalnta looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

**(N/A: at this time I would like to point out that Atlanta has no clue whatsoever about Archie's closet poetry)**

"In case you haven't noticed Arch, I'm not necessarily a poet," she pointed out.

"Well, you can appreciate nature, and it's almost like poetry," he pointed out, "not all poetry can be seen, it has to be felt". Atlanta thought about that for a second, then considered who was giving her this great advice.

"You sure about that Archie?" she smirked. He took in a deep breath and looked at the sky as though it gave him courage.

"_Morning is breaking, a light from it's sleep. Strangers are waking, but never will meet. One day we're born, one day we die. Millions of lonely people, wake up and try_," he recited. Atlanta's mouth fell open. She had nothing to say.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered," Archie did you write that?"

"No," he said pleasantly, though it was clear he wished he had, "I forget the guy's name now. It's in a song, I just... I guess I just like it. It kinda relates to our lives here, we would have never met if the gods hadn't brought us together. Millions of people are waking up and either not seeing what's right in front of them, or they'll never know because there isn't a way of finding it". Again Atlanta was speechless. She edged her hand ever so closer towards Archie's on the bench, and lightly nudged it, not so they held hands, but so he knew her hand was indeed there to be held.

"Have you ever written anything like that?" she asked both innocently and curiously. Archie looked at her, then down at his shoes, which had suddenly became more interesting.

"Maybe, once in a while," he trailed off quietly, watching as Atlanta's yet again fell agape.

"Oh, I wanna here some!" she said, exclaiming excitedly like a small child. Archie debated over what to say, or speak supposedly. Should he bring up something about her? Then he settled on one.

_"The fire tonight, _  
_in the snow it burns bright. _  
_The forests alive in the eyes._  
_The smooth flowing river, _  
_the voice of the giver. _  
_Its sound lifts me up to the skies._  
_The sun and the moon, _  
_shining bright off her skin. _  
_I think that I've got quiet a view._  
_But one thing should i dare, _  
_to speak of my care? _  
_And say that Atlanta I love you"_

It took a while in the quiet of the night for Atlanta to fully process what Archie had said. She felt like crying, not of anger or embarassment or contempt, though. She was complimeted and... and absolutely blown away.

"Archie that was-"

"I know it wasn't very good-"

"No it was-"

"A little stupid and-"

"Archie that was _incredible!_" Atlanta blurted out. Archie looked at her as though she had a concusion or something.

"Really?" he finally managed to stutter, his entire face turning a subtle, yet still completely visible and albeit unusual, shade of pink.

"No one's ever wrote me a poem before," she gushed, "when did you come up with all those...those... well, _words?_" Archie blushed even more.

"Uh, just now," he said shyly, bowing his head. At this, Atlanta finally gathered her own courage and laced her hand in his. She tilted her face towards him and gave him a gentle and hardly noticable peck on the cheek. Imaginably, she resurfaced with red ears. Archie grasped her hand tighter.

"I do love you Atlanta," he said, "and I mean it everytime I say it". Atlanta replied with only what they had both waited to hear her say for what seemed like forever.

"I love you too Archie"

The pair, now both fully convinced of their feelings for one another, came to the same individual conclusion. Atlanta slid slightly closer to Archie, as he placed his free hand on her dress where her knee would have been. They leaned in and met with a simple kiss.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Well, there you go! Finally, some smooching action in the AxA department lol hope you are all very happy, cause I stayed up until exactly 1:25am finishing this chapter! Perhaps thats why it is so freakishly long! Haha what can I say? I was in need of a well-detailed bedtime story!**

**There's nothing really to say about this chapter, for me, other than that it is long, descriptive, and that I have a new appreciation of AxA romance, because I am realizing that it can be just as cute as my beloeved JxT, which I spent more time writing in the last chapter but it never sounded as good as this! Haha hope all you AxA fans liked, and I hope all you JxT fans actual read, cause don't lie to me, I know that I personally have skipped whole chapters because all there was was AxA! Haha and so the truth comes out! but I might just be going back to read those sometime soo now lol**

**Oh and I hope you like the display of my quicky poem skills lol a little somthing-something for my Poetry Story fans lol and first excerpt poem was the lyric for this chapter btw, it is from the beautiful, tradgic, and poetic song "Try" by none other than Kalan Porter! Lol... I'm tired.**

**Haha!**

**RxR very very soon lol**

**Cheers**

**Your friend and fellow writer,**

**the fates of love**

**Remember, review quick or a won't post that next chapter that I m already finished! Don't make me go do that lol!**

**heartsxo**


	8. Karma King

**Hey guys, so since I've been gone for so long, I thought today I would write up two chapters! That and I was really very inspired to write this one. I am dedicating this chapter to my very amazing cousin Stephanie Maria (who inspired Cambria) and my best friend Aleisha (who inspired Alisha)... you can see I didn't have much creativity with the second name lol! **

**The both of you are really my greatest gifts as friends go, and aside from my actual sister, you two are very close to sibling-like blood and flesh for me. Not only is this the starring moment for your OC's in this story, but the song on this chapter, "Karma King", is very depicting of both of your lives. You are both... hmm, how should I say this... the ideal men's-lady, in more ways than one. Both of you are attractive and powerful, but this song is all about power corruption which I know both of you have had your share of. And in the end, lets face it, karma is a bitch. You hurt, and then you get hurt back! We've had our go of things, up's and down's, good's and bad's... and worst's. But at the end of the day, it's about your family and your almost-family. You guys pick me up when I'm down, and I could never be more grateful for you both!**

**Here's for you! **

**Lol don't hate me haha lurv ya girls!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own COTT, and as much as I have wanted to sometimes, I don't own Steph or Aleisha. But face the music my friends, I own you in the world I created to put you in haha! I also don't own Kalan Porter or his very poetically beautiful music.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

"Back. off. of. my. boyfriend," Cambria said strongly as Alisha stepped away from Herry, whom she had just presently been sedating (and grinding on, sadly).

"I can't believe you had the guts to come here," Cambria said slyly, "after all, it _IS my_ school, _my_ dance, and _my_ man". She smirked and glided closer to the short little figure now facing her.

"My rules, too," she finished, towering down upon her prey. Alisha scoffed.

"What was that?" Cambria inquired sharply, a hint of humour in her voice at the vision of her authority, "did I hear some _hostility_?" A smile curled across Cambria's slightly parted lips. In truth, Alisha was now very scared of her opponent. True, she had gone against Cambria's wishes at the celebratory party for the field-hockey teams when she hit on a very drunk Herry. Then, she had disobeyed her again by sleeping with, and again trying to..._ tempt _Cambria's boyfriend. However, those were acts done without Cambria starring down at her, the strong and hot breath from her anger flaring across Alisha's face. Without Cambria there, she was simply out of sight and out of mind. Alisha had never met anyone so terrifying, who could make her quiver so easily, but she had an all too impressive rep as "all powerful" to let it show on her face.

Cambria stepped closer to Alisha once more - close enough to see down her very revealing dress, not that she enjoyed the view like her boyfriend had previously done. It was so very typical to see something of this style on Alisha. Her dress was mid-thigh length, strapless, and done up in the back with very detailed cross-laces. There was, however, a zipper at the side, and Cambria thought quite highly that the dress (if it _could_ be called that and not _undergarment_ or _sleepwear_) was wasted on Alisha. And to top it off, it was deep purple, the whore's favorite color. Cambria did quite hate that color.

"Go," Cambria said smoothly in soft whisper. "Go and don't. come. _back_". Alisha, ecstatic out of her mind to escape with her life, swiftly took that as her cue to make a quick exit stage left. She promptly turned on her heel and, with a look behind her at Cambria, laced with promises of returning soon, she fled.

_Suddenly I'm overthrown._  
_Suddenly I'm at your mercy._  
_Lead me to the great unknown._  
_Lead me on and desert me,  
l__ike I have done to so many._

However, even though Cambria had used her better judgement and decided not to give that horrid bitch another black eye to hide badly behind cover-up, karma was going to have his way with Alisha. She approached the punch bowl, turning to the exit when, as if out of no where, her too-high platformed heels tangled themselves in each other, dumping Alisha and her massive ego into the punch bowl mid-strut!

Moments later she rose, her black eye now fully visible and her eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara running down her face. Her long flowing hair which had been lightly curled was now soaked majorly in mango-peach punch, as was her dress. She rose to her feet, most of the students watching her, as they had heard the bathtub sized punch bowl crash to the floor. Broken glass shards were scattered all around, specks of Alisha's own blood dripping down her right arm from landing on them. Some students who knew who she was promptly giggled at her misfortune. Others who didn't know her as an enemy quickly rushed to her aid, only to be hurried away and forbidden to help her by her own selfish snarls of "Get off me," and "f*** you!" She gathered herself and limped as fast as she could on her broken high heels out the back door. Finally she had managed to get both her emotional and physical pride wounded in synchronized motion!

_Down, down, down, down,_  
_the king was dead._

Cambria turned around to face Herry, her satisfied smile turning abruptly to a scowl. She marched up to him solidly and starred up at him. Although he was at least four inches her senior, he was scared sick to look down into her dark brown eyes.

"Cambria, I-"

"Oh, just save it," she snapped. Taking a deep breath and letting loose a sigh of disappointment, she spoke again.

_You reveal my tragic flaw,_  
_power's been confiscated._  
_How did I become a pawn,_  
_in this game I created? _  
_I'll follow even though I hate it._

"I know you were drunk," she said, Herry nodding, "and as much as you having severely pissed me off, I don't think I can let go of you," she finished, smiling sweetly up at the only boy - only person, even - who could soften her up. Herry blew a sigh of relief, a breath he had waited long holding on to.

"But just so you know," she whispered as they walked away, "I'm leaving now. Don't follow me. You've seriously tested my patience lately"

Herry frowned as he sulked over to the dance floor to mingle as his girlfriend headed for home. "And," she continued as she walked away...

"I love you".

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**So you see peoples, Herry can't help but obey Alisha's even command, Alisha can be completely controlled by Cambria, and Cambria of course can't say no to Herry... sometimes a situation just begs to have karma intervene! Lol short chapter today... and I've noticed that we have parted some way from the streamline of JxT in this story... Oh yes, that _does_ mean that you have plenty of _that_to look forward to next chapter! Haha **

**To Aleisha: Sorry about what happens here lol, and I'm sorry (well not really) that I made Alisha truly brutal and horrible. She is an absolutely bitch to say the least, but that's not to say that I didn't create her in your mirror image. You, my dear, can be wicked! And all in all, when she made her first appearance in this story, we were in a tad of a scrimmage... and I didn't like your guts very much! But now I know that was just a silly stupid fight of ours and it's all in fun and games with your character lol you'll always be my bestie xo**

**To Steph: To put it short and sweet, you are my girl and you are AMAZING! You've given me so much advice and guidance, even if some of it was totally off track and ridiculous and never did work anyways! I still love you, as I hope you do me lol! I hope you find even more ways to dazzle me and those around you on your travels to find yourself in this world, and along the way I hope people welcome you into their hearts as one only can to somebody like you! My wonderful cousin and my beloved Peanut lol xo**

**To My Amazing Reviewers!: You guys are awesomesauce! You guys have no idea what you mean to me! I hope that you come to me and pity how I have my ability to get no reviews, and then come review! Lol I love you guys so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so MUCH! I hope that you adored this chapter as much as I did...**

**Oh, and to David... sorry to say that you most _definitely _play the role of Herry in this chapter lol even though you don't read these fandoms haha (that might be why)!**

**Ok, so two more chapters to go! Beauty and ... well im not sure what song im using for the last chapy but its gonna be fantastic!**

**Lurv ya **

**Cheers**

**Your friend and fellow writer,**

**that fates of love**


	9. Wrong

**Ok, so, as promised, here is chapter 9, the famous chapter 9 that I have been waiting to post since the beginning of this story...  
****  
However, as a last minute brain-child, I have decided to postpone any chapter 9 JxT to chapter 10! Hahaha! Sorry, you will have to wait just slightly longer to see all that long-awaited JxT fluff. AH! FLUFF! (to MrsOliSykes)**

**This chapter really got too long for one chapter, and I figured I could use a song that I really wanted to make an appearance in this story, "Wrong". It's a beautiful, beautiful song, look it up. But basically, it called deeply to Jay suddenly coming out with his secret affections, and Odie having some insane ideas that are, indeed, WRONG!**

**To catch us up (and as a refresher to myself as I write this thingy) Jay and Theresa are now a couple but have not really shown as much, while Theresa is still utterly confused about her place on the team. The Gods are still completely pissed off at her, Atlanta and Archie are actually in love (AHHHHHHH!) and Herry and Cambria are strained but nontheless together. Neil is proud of his "make Jay jealous" plan (and is therefore _almost_ completely out of usefulness in the plot) and Odie has yet to reveal how he knew about Herry and Cambria and Alisha's love triangle without anyone finding out. Guess we know now what needs to happen in these next THREE chapters then...**

**SO ON WITH IT I SAY!**

**BTW, I know that the timeline is a little screwed up in this chapter, but work with me people! Haha**

**P.S to EbonyK, turn your private messaging option on, I tried to message you lol but it didn't work. Also, Neil is with somebody lol himself! Maybe I can find time for his romance in the sequel to this story, but that will take some time to post as I am writing alot off line lol sorry, glad you like my story! Thanks for the review!**

**That goes for all of you lol review so I can give you a mention in the final chapter outro! Only those who review get mentions! And I dunno about you all, but I do LOVE getting mentioned!**

**Disclaimer: I really really really don't own Class of the Titans! I mean it! By now you think you would have figured it out, but NO! I DO NOT OWN CLASS OF THE TITANS (COTSMTDOHFGM to be clear lol)**

**... but wish-eth I did!**

**Oh, and I do not own Odies awesome line: "If a thought makes me laugh for more than ten seconds, I should automatically assume that I am not allowed to do it". That one belongs all to elegos-sirinial-shamtul lol I WILL NOT! And I will not say I own it! Or Friday The Thirteenth (didn't know if that was the one with the closet tho lol!)**

**All apologies for the delay =/ life takes its toll... enjoy =)**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

It was nearing midnight, most high school students at New Olympia High heading home from a night filled with music and intricately detailed decorations. To many of the students, this had just been another dance, to socialize, drink punch, have fun, and, well dance. But to seven teenage mortals, none older than seventeen, this would be a night that they knew they would remember for a long while to come. Tonight marked the rest of their lives - knowing profusely and without a doubt that no matter what happened, they were loved.

The lights began to dim - not in the sensual way that they do during an intense moment, but in the way that the batteries would soon be spent. The gym was almost vacant of teenagers, and even some of the Gods (otherwise known as teachers) had left to the secret part of the school, where they would retire for the evening. Odie stood tirelessly at the lightstand from which he controlled all the music and lighting. From there, he caught sight of Jay and Theresa still laughing, talking, and dancing to the song now playing. He smirked inwardly, something all of the heroes had done of recent at the mention of Theresa and Jay, who had finally worked out the proverbial "kink" in their relationship. His attention then quickly turned to the time on the clock. Eleven forty-eight, to be precise. The dance ended at midnight, the time at which Odie would finally be free. He watched again as Jay and Theresa danced their way in and out of each other's arms... and suddenly, he thought of something. He knew it was wrong from the second it popped into his head, but he couldn't resist. _If a thought makes me laugh for more than ten seconds, I should automatically assume that I am not allowed to do it,_ he thought, _however, it's only in the interest of science. I think the ODIE-CAM should have another test run tonight,_ he finalized. He simply couldn't argue with his logic. _And if it gets outta hand,_ he said, _I shut it down._

Meanwhile, oblivious to anything but their own happy bliss, Atlanta and Archie entered the gymnasium again, their hands intertwined romantically. To both their pleasure, and surprise, no one noticed. Either that, or no one cared enough to make a comment. They walked up to the table at which sat Herry, very glumly I might add. He took another swishing swallow of his punch, which was now strawberry-kiwi. The peach-mango had been mopped off the floor about an hour previous by the extremely over-qualified janitor, Mr. Suez. Archie noticed this.

"What happened to the punch bowl?" he asked, as he noticed also that the bowl had been much larger before, and was now a different glassy color than blue.

"Alisha _dropped_ by," Herry said, taking a drink from his glass again, "Cambria set her straight". It seemed that was all he had to say about it, so Archie continued onto a different subject.

"Hey, so, Atlanta and I are gonna crash early, head home. You gonna catch a ride with Odie or did you wanna come watch a movie or something?" Archie asked.

"Yeah, sure, why not," Herry said optimisticaly as he downed the last of his punch. He arose with a smile on his face and left homeward with Atlanta and Archie.

**xoxoxox**

The streetlights hung low over the dark street, a rushing wind blowing freely and shaking loose the unexpecting leaves that had managed to cling close to the trees this late in autumn. It was clear that winter had finally made its grand arrival to New Olympia.

After noticing that the dance had come to an almost immediate dead stop, Jay and Theresa had left the gynasium and quickly shuffled out the door. On their way to the school's front entrance, they had passed Hera, who was presumably making rounds of the halls. She said goodnight politely to them both, but it was her weary and worrying gaze that had gotten Theresa thinking.

_Heaven knows what was in my head_  
_But I guess it all came out_  
_Can't believe that I said what I just said_  
_Tell me what's it all about_

_I know why I did that_, she thought to herself, _It was completely wrong and insane, and I could have fixed my issues another way. I'm not going to do it again. I'll never forgive myself, and I know that I could never do that to people I love after going through it the first time. But just because I can try to forget it so easily, even if I never acually will, that doesn't neccessarily mean that the people I've hurt can forgive and forget. They might hold a grudge against me for a long time to come. I would never forgive someone else if they had done that to me. I'll be on their constant radar. They'll always be watching me, wondering when I'm going to explode. Some freedom I've won myself._

**xoxoxox**

Immediately after arriving at the brownstone, Archie and Herry bolted upstairs, all but completely ignoring the fact that Neil was already home and sleeping. They appeared in the living room not five minutes later, tux-free and ready for a movie, nachos and soda in hand. Carefully selecting a horror film from the shelf, Archie turned on the television and began what was quick to become a horror-thon.

"Don't go in the closet," Herry whispered, rocking slightly back and forth in his seat, clutching his teddy-bear with an iron grip. Archie sat, knees tucked into his chest, nachos resting in his lap. He was unable to remove his eyes from the screen as the cheesy, yet classical, horror film continued. It was about halfway through the movie then, when a shadowed figure appeared in the living room archway clad in loosely fitting cloth, casting shadows in the already pitch-black darkness. Not noticing it at first, the boys continued watching the screen intently.

The figure stepped swiftly from the shadow of the hall and flicked on the lights in the living room, causing both boy heroes to scream loudly with the girlish essence of Neil. Realizing who it was, and that it was indeed human, it was clear that they had screamed for nothing.

"Hey," Atlanta laughed, "what are you guys up to?" Herry paused the movie.

"We were watching one of the most classic of all horror movies, that is, until someone interrupted it," Archie snided playfully. Atlanta knew he loved horror movies, almost as much as Neil. His irritation was sensibly predictable.

"Which one?" Atlanta questioned.

"The one with the guys and the masks-" Herry started.

"Oh! Friday the Thirteenth! I love that movie!" Atlanta exclaimed, "move over". She sprinted at sonic speed to the couch, sliding on the end beside Archie, settling into his side and stealing some nachos. Herry resumed the movie, flicking the second lightswitch in the living room to bid the overexcessive light away.

"I thought you were sleeping," Archie whispered to Atlanta, almost sarcastically.

"Naw, Odie and Neil woke me up," she laughed, eyes still transfixed to the screen as she stole a swig of Archie's soda.

"Odie and Neil?" Archie snickered quietly, "what an odd couple". Atlanta rolled her eyes.

"They were putting up some hardware in the third floor hallway," she explained, gulping down hard as she watched a semi-climatic scene and swallowed at the same time.

"They kept dropping stuff outside Theresa's room, so I left". Archie glanced at her, questioning. She shrugged.

"Don't look at me," she said indifferently, "they must have been putting up wires or something, it sounded pretty heavy duty. All I know is that, if theres gonna be some sort of mass explosion on the third floor tonight, I'd really rather not be sleeping underneath it". Archie almost choked on his drink, which he had stolen back and was hastily finishing.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, "you don't really think Jay and Theresa-"

"No!" Atlanta cut in, disgusted, "I meant in case the wires blow a fuse?" Archie scoffed.

"I don't see why they gotta go do that stuff anyways," Herry laughed quietly, "I prefer it the old fashioned way - no tapes, no cameras. Just nachos and soda, the perfect orgasm".

**xoxoxox**

They slipped behind the brownstone and through the gate of the small backyard. Instead of opping for the loud and obvious route of the front door, the pair chose to sneak in through the back door to the kitchen. Neither knew exactly why they felt this was neccessary.

Jay opened the door, almost without a sound, and the two snuck in effortlessly. As they shut the door and left the kitchen, it was clear that whoever was watching "Friday The Thirteenth" in the living room had not heard anything. In the dim light and shadow of the hallway, Theresa slipped off her high-heels, clutched them in her hand, and made for the stairs. Jay soon followed after. They made it past the second floor landing and heard not the snoring of Neil, nor the muffled night noises of Archie or Atlanta stirring. When they made it to the third floor, Herry was no where to be found, his door laying wide open.

"I had a really great time tonight," Theresa said sincerly, blushing in spite of herself and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. In the complete darkness of the hallway, no light being offered by the television of the main floor, she knew that she was safe to blush unnoticed.

"Yeah," Jay replied in a hushed tone, "so did I". He smiled at Theresa, although he knew it was too dark for her to see. They stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say, for what seemed like long moments, but was only mere seconds. Although they had supposedly figured out what to do with each other, there was something holding them back. The awkward tension rose once more. Jay, assuming his leader role, finally spoke.

"It's late," he voiced, obvious to the time but oblivious to his own thoughts, "we should get to sleep". He once again smiled, softly though his eyes betrayed the sadness he felt of the growing hour. Theresa too felt that it was a shame to be sending the night into the land where only memories dwelt. Nontheless, she knew she was incapable to persuade her leader of anything else, regardless of the fact that it was only twelve-twenty.

"Yeah," she sighed, her tone revealing what she had attempted to disguise - a quiet and guilty aching in situational doubt, "well, I'll see you in the morning then". In the blind darkness of the hallway, she reached out her hand towards the direction in which she assumed her bedroom door rested. However, Jay had noticed the change in her tone of voice, and was quick to reach out and seize her forearm.

_You know I don't mean to hurt you_  
_And I just want to tell you_  
_That I don't want to wait until tomorrow_  
_Don't want to wake and find you gone_

"What's wrong?" he asked her, their faces now so close that Theresa could nearly make out the shadows of concern spreading across Jay's face. But she was in no mind to be confessing her worries to him at the moment. It would change nothing. She was insecure, to say the least, about her position in the eye's of the Gods, and most of all in the eye's of those she loved. This applied especially to the boy-turned-leader-turned-lover infront of her. She was far too apprehensive and disorganized about her feelings to share them with anyone - just yet.

"It's nothing," she sighed softly at length. Stepping almost too swiftly out of his grasp, she made another move upon the threshold of her bedroom. How was it that a night that was so previously filled with joy had come to a sleepy and questionable end? Would Jay believe what she had said, or would this make further complications for them, ending the bliss they had entered only hours ago? With one simple slip of the tongue, she had smeared the entire night. _I always have to mess it up, don't I?_ she thought to herself.

"Goodnight Jay," she whispered sweetly, and made to finally open her door to sleep. And so did Jay, as he replied with a gentle goodnight, before moving to his own room.

"Theresa?" he asked abruptly, just as the divide between their rooms and the halls were closing. She stalled her door.

"Yeah?"

"Listen," Jay began, "I know that life is a little crazy right now, but it's going to get better, soon. We can't control it, and as much as we like to think they can, neither can the Gods. We just have to defeat Cronus. The prophecy says we can, and it's only a matter of time," Jay spoke understandingly, leaning his forehead against the frame of his open door. Neither could see the other, but if they could have they would have seen each other mirroring the others apprehensive and quiet bodily linguistics. He continued.

"We know what you're going through. If you ever need anything, _anything_," he stressed, "tell me". Theresa smiled ever so slightly. Without Jay's notice, she glanced quickly behind her to see him leaning on the door frame, enhaling deeply, his eyes closed in concentration. Theresa smiled.

_Don't want to waste a day 'cause I know_  
_Sorry always takes too long_  
_Baby I was wrong_

"Thanks," she murmured, her voice becoming a sweetening whisper that lingered beyond the lines of simple gratitude. Somehow, even if he didn't know exactly how, Jay knew that he had said the right thing.

"Sweet dreams Theresa," he added, mimicking some words of his own from months ago. Although he knew he could say more, he thought he would let her think for a while, and then, when she was ready, they would talk about why's and how's, and maybe they could find what they were still missing. So Jay closed his door, and left Theresa leaning by her lonesome, that priceless grin parting lips that longed for someone else's.

**xoxoxox**

Cue "Pink Panther" theme music. It was, to be sure, a scheme fit for your average sleuth or spy. Perhaps both.

Odie crept up the stairs from his lair in the basement, a place that reminded Neil of toxic waste, apparently. Though it was neither toxic nor wasteful, Odie's room did house a very interesting project at the moment. It was, he thought, his greatest creation yet. He called it the "ODIE-CAM". The acro-name was short, of course, for "Operating Desktop Instructed Eyepiece - Camcorder and Microphone".

He had originally developed it to find out what the strange screams were a few nights back. However, he later realized that it could be useful for viewing Cronus in his day to day activities. It was ridiculously small, portable, and could be attached to an almost microscopic robotic wheel, and moved by means of this. At first, it had needed a power cord to operate, but after a few small adjustments and a test subject (thanks Herry!) to work it out on, the ODIE-CAM was finally fully tested and wireless!

However, the fact still remained that it needed another test run, just to verify its total and complete brilliance. Tonight, Odie had decided, would be the final test. He was going to install the robotic wheel and see if it could hang from the ceiling of the third floor. Tonight he was going to test the ODIE-CAM on Theresa and Jay.

Being careful not to make a sound as he passed the noisy living room, he continued his sneaky voyage up to the third floor, sole domain of Jaresa - as only Neil would be bold as to call them. Of course, Herry slept up on the third floor as well, but his domain was clearly more deamed as the kitchen. And, seeing as he was watching a movie at present, it appeared that Odie would install the camera in secret as he had planned.

The load Odie carried, specific to the task at hand, dropped only slightly in his not so strong grasp. He neared the second floor, just about to ascend the stairway to the third, when the box containing various tools and machinery fell completely. It only caused a minor crash. Unfortunately, it was right outside Neil's room, in which the loud and frequent snoring ceased abruptly. The door flung open.

"What are you doing?" Neil asked, in his tone a mixture of sleepiness, annoyance, incredulity, and curiousity. He finally succeeded in peeling off his monogrammed nightmask and glanced down at Odie and the box of miscellanious objects.

After a short bout of prolonged silence as Odie attempted to clean up his mess in great haste, Neil finally rolled his eyes and picked up the remaining tools. He dropped them in the bin, before hoisting it with ease and walking forward to the stairs.

"How-?" Odie began.

"So what's with all the stuff?" Neil asked casually, "Doing some late night... _directing?_" Odie raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Porn?" Neil laughed, dropping the box outside Theresa's room with a _bang_ resounding. Odie cringed.

"Nope," he confirmed, shaking his head of unusually dirty thoughts, "I'm testing out my new and improved audio-visual camera and software. The first run on Herry got it from connected to wireless, but now I have to test it for flawless perfection". For once, Neil was not completely bored by Odie's speech. He began to laugh subtly.

"So that's how you did it?" Neil asked, impressed by the craft and shifty ways of his often underestimated buddy. Odie nodded yes, in reference to the ridiculous scheme he pulled on Herry and Alisha. It was quite brilliant of him. But now the ODIE-CAM was to serve another purpose.

Odie reached for some tools and began to install some necessary hardware on the rim of both Jay's and Theresa's door frames. If things got out of hand and particularly steamy, Odie would of course shut the camera off. However, on the occassion that something not completely gut-wrenching and interesting happened, he wanted a decent view. Neil, wanting to see the camera in action as soon as possible, leant a hand in setting things up.

They were just about finished Jay's door, when all of the sudden they heard two sets of footsteps quietly clammouring up the stairs. Grabbing everything in sight, and directing the ODIE-CAM up the wall and into shadows out of view, Odie and Neil raced into the third floor bathroom.

Turning the camera on, Odie and Neil got their first view of the wireless operation from inside the can, on Odie's laptop.

"I hope they pick Jay's room if anything," Odie whispered to Neil, "we only nearly finished his". Neil rolled his eyes.

"Oh _please_, _everything_ works out for me, _of course_ they will!" The two boys snickered, albeit slightly wickedly, and Jay and Theresa parted to their seperate rooms. But just as all hope fell for the ODIE-CAM's test drive (much to Odie's dismay), it came to light that Neil's arrogant statement held to be true. The two heard the door to Theresa's room creek open, before shutting closed again. They rotated the camera on the wheel to get a better view. It was then that she knocked on Jay's door, and was subsequently invited in. Odie managed to wedge the ODIE-CAM in between the door and the frame, before Jay's door shut behind it and Theresa.

"Let's go," Odie mouthed to a giggling Neil. And with that, the boys crept quickly and quietly out from the washroom, down to Odie's room to hang and watch the oh so interesting footage yet to unfold. To be sure, it was a scheme fit for your average sleuth and spy combined.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Haha, I know that this doesn't have nearly as much JxT as I wanted it to, but at least if we don't get smut, we get answers to Odie's mystery schemes lol! And at least now you know that I can't possibly hold the EXTREME JXT SCENE (as my notepad has it saved) from you all any longer! Next chapter, epic chapter 10, there shall be Beauty, literally lol!**

**And other than that, I apoligize for the delay in posting this chapter... wanna know why?... CAUSE BEAUTY AND DOWN IN HEAVEN ARE ALREADY FINISHED! YAAAAY! Well... they will both be after some minor adjustments (grammar, spelling, lyrics, all the annoying stuffs lol)**

**Well, all aside from that, I do hope that you, dear reader, enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! And now, of course, you know the grand twist to this novella. But what you don't know will only be revealed in the moment you least expect it. It'll be like taking a sudden drop off a waterfall when you round the corner of a peaceful river... well, you'll have to see lol**

**Hope to see you "tune in, turn on, drop out, drop in, switch off, switch on, and explode" for the chapter to end all chapters, chapter 10! And I promise you, it will most definately be next chapter!**

**Your friend and fellow writer,**

**the fates of love**

**P.S Review or you shall have no mention!**


	10. Beauty

**Good evening readers and reviewers =) sending an update to you live from sunny writerland =P in other words... I'm in my bedroom trying not to fall asleep so as to finally post this chapter and get it in under the wire before 2013 begins lol =D you know, it never fails to amaze me how this story ever got written with how slowly I write! On that note, time to let the sparks fly!**

**A round of applause for MrsOliSykes, whose constantly curious mind finally prompted me into remembering that, amidst my mentorship, I still have unfinished business here. I've been terribly busy with my first ACTUAL NOVEL! In the middle of writing the second chapter of the first of the trilogy, I had to "return to my roots" again for inspiration. When in doubt, come home haha!**

**So, here she is, ladies and lads: THE Chapter 10 - Beauty. Been meaning to post this for some time... four and some odd years by my count, isn't it? =P**

**I doubt I really have to explain this chapter at all, but before we start, there is somebody that I must thank and dedicate this to... I'm sure I would be forever accursed if I didn't!**

**To MichaellaLoe, for kick-starting this mess I call my life in print. You undoubtably rock my world! =D**

**That said, I also dedicate this chapter to Langston and Barb, my amazing mentors! May you and our halflings prosper!**

**As always, thanks to my amazing READERS and REVIEWERS! (especially the reviewers haha *hint*) and to MrsOliSykes and HelloKittyKewl for being my unfailing babes! Also, thank you to the lad for loving me to Tartarous and back. You had the best lines - consider yourself fully disclaimed.**

**Disclaimer: I own little. I own plans to silly fantasies, shattered and forgotten dreams, broken bottle glass and reluctant heroes. I own this chapter, whether the characters are mine or not. I own this story. And yet, "owning" all this, I still but merely wish that I owned Class of the Titans!**

**(And for those of you who grew tired of scene-jumping and the involvement of multiple character plotlines... tad dah! One very long, very singularly characterized scene.)**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

Theresa lay drifting, yet not between this realm of consciousness and the next. She lay in an uneven balance, dangling dangerously between reality and the surreal. This was not unusual. Life had taken it's severe taxation on her body, and her spirit. The weariness that so steadily invaded her hardly made it easier to regulate which events were mere fabrication, and which she experienced readily. The night had unfolded so effortlessly - so absolutely perfect. It was for moments of steady breath, such as those, for which she lived. For, in a life that lay so unsure, each day only capable of unfolding a second at a time, each second itself was precious. You never lived the same day twice. There would be no such thing as planning ahead - they must take everything in its stride. Theresa supposed that, perhaps, all lives were like that, and not just hers alone. No one truly knew if they would live to see tomorrow. However, in her case, she knew that her chances of seeing tomorrow were invariably far less than that of the average seventeen-year-old girl.

Occasionally, she dreamt of such. She would find herself wondering if any of it had truly existed - Cronus, the team, the Gods, her very selfsame circumstance - as her mind wandered back to visions of the past. She asked herself how any of it could have existed, and, only a fraction of time after she had convinced herself that it had not, she awoke to the minimum confines of her new room, and the mass expanse of her new life and duties. Even when she felt that nothing had changed, she knew that everything had, and that nothing could remain as it had ever been again. There were events that she could not reverse, truths that she could no longer deny of herself. This was reality. Yet, periodically, on those days when she clung to the last fleeting wisps of her old life, her mind took her back to times when everything was easier, and her troubles extended to grades, family, and maintaining an acceptable appearance. Her heart would wander back, and she would snap. It was this tendency alone that had provoked the phantom, a ghost of her powers, from within herself.

That minuscule portion of her brain that had longed for freedom had escaped on its own, bringing her into slavery and forcing her to be a prisoner of her own, fleeting though admittedly selfish, mind. When she had existed like this, it was as though she was saying and acting in one way, yet all the while she was innerly screaming, restrained though she tried to stop herself - but _she_ wouldn't listen.

Her inability to control what had appeared to be simple emotions infuriated her. Had she still possessed such great power, perhaps she would have destroyed herself, right there and then. She had tried that day on the beach. Better, she thought, to destroy myself in the process than harm any more of the people I love. She shivered. To love Jay as she did, she felt, was to put him in only more danger. What if she were to loose herself again - to be locked within her own body, a prison of ambition with no true escape but her death? She wouldn't have Jay sacrifice himself for her. She wasn't worth it, and, in any case, it wouldn't change anything. Nothing would.

Yet he had said he knew how she had felt. She wondered if he truly could. She desperately craved some solidity. All she wanted was to grab hold of him, and wait there; wait for perhaps a lifetime, so that she could reassure herself that he was real. Because, of everything she had been through (fighting immortal Gods and mythical beings from legends of yester-year included), the idea that she had gone through such unbelievable things with a boy like Jay was the most unbelievable idea of them all. Though scars remained as reminders of her many misadventures in mythology, her only mark of Jay's existence were the scars across her heart. The second she had met him, he had shredded it with the power of his smile. She enjoyed the knowledge that he may love her, even if it was knowledge that was hardly concrete, but the fact that she couldn't be sure of what could only be felt, not seen, was troubling.

Acting as many a foolish and lovestruck girl before her had, she was encouraged to see him. Her mind, or at least, the rather more sane of the two voices that probed her, told her to go to him. The other voice, she felt, hid in the shadows, hopefully ashamed. Yet she knew it would no longer bother her. When she had attempted self-combustion, her immense power, and the being that had controlled it, had been vanquished. Yet she felt that bit of herself lingering around inside, even if it existed as but a guilty memory.

Though it felt ages, she had, as usual, only been leaning against her door for but moments. Time was funny - funny and fickle. As was it's master.

She flattened her palms against the smooth wood of the extraordinarily ordinary door behind her, inhaling deeply. She held onto that breath until she could do so no longer. Every breath spent catching your breath, she found, was far more exhilarating than those spent simply _being_. A thought that no doubt had come to existence from her many days of fighting monsters with a rush of adrenaline.

Rubbing her eyes, she submitted to defeat. She knew that only one thing - only one person - could rid her of her seemingly perpetual confusion and bereft depression. She intended to visit said person. Running a hand through her already undone hair, and only tangling it further to this effect, she removed what jewelry she had worn, and banished her high heeled shoes to her closet, where they would remain on time-out for butchering her now swollen feet. Although she could practically feel Jay's aggravated, pulsing being pacing and scheming on the other side of the wall, she knew it was unwise to disturb him much later. She had to hurry. That boy gave a whole new meaning to seeing the wheels turning.

Silently as the squeaking door hinges permitted her, she crept from her room, all lights off, and closed the door cautiously. Moving her bare feet against the soft carpet, she approached his door, and laid her palm against the wood. She wondered if she was really doing this. Knocking, the sound broke through her reverie. Evidently, she _had_ done it. Yet another of the times where a feeling inside her lead her on, without her brain necessarily giving it the signal to act.

"Come in," Jay replied nearly instantly. As usual, yet another event of the day had managed to interrupt his train of thought and throw it from it's course. Turning the cold metal of the doorknob, Theresa entered.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice as soft as a velvet string of sound dancing in the lamp light. Though Jay had, for a moment, been irritated by the distraction this visitor had presented him with, he had somehow guessed it was Theresa. This hunch made the distraction welcome, though by far more likely to turn him from his current thoughts. Though he had only just settled in his desk chair, he was prompted to stand immediately as she opened the door. She had always had an innate ability to make him demonstrate old and cordial manners.

_All your beauty is hard to explain,  
__Dancing shadows and light on your face,  
__Every kiss in the world wouldn't make you feel better._

"Hey," he replied, his tone hardly any louder, yet far more assured, "what's up?" He smiled at her warmly, the only person in the world he had known to alleviate his worries, fears, and make him leave his life behind him. She captivated him with every movement, every heartbeat. The feeling travelled far beyond her beauty. She spoke, and he had only but to hear her voice to fall for her. Her laughing provoked his laughing, her tears, his own dread filled pain. They were connected. He had seen her eyes flash innumerable times, betraying even the slightest turn of her emotions. Even so, there was still no denying that she indeed was breathtaking. Yet her beauty existed in contrast; light and dark, shadow and sunlight. No matter how he had tried, nothing could ease her conscience. He only hoped that what he had said, and what he had yet to say, would be enough this time.

She crept in, taking that his casual attentiveness paved her entry. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it as she had done her own moments ago. She felt it was somehow better to stand the confusion in anothers presence. Perhaps he would know. She sure as hell didn't. She wondered if asking so much of him was wise - to ask him to watch her break down again. The tension was too much to bare on her own sometimes, yet she bore it all the same. For once, she felt he had invited her to collapse in his arms.

_What a pity to paint in your lines,  
__Nothing's in me that's worth one more rhyme,  
__Could it be that were both just slaves to the weather?_

"I had a great time tonight," she started, smiling weakly, "with you. And it made me wonder, again, what I would be doing without you. Or without the team. You said you know how I feel, and I know you, out of anybody, knows what stress is. But, I mean, have you ever just wondered what it would be like to forget it all? To turn back time, even, and forget this ever happened?" His eyes locked on hers, he broke her gaze for but a moment to close his eyes, and refocus. He smiled.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to be normal again," he started, "but I realized after a while, that there is no being normal _again_ after this. Staying normal in the first place, would have never happened. This is my normal," he shrugged.

"But have you ever convinced yourself that this, all of this, is just too unreal?" she asked, "sometimes I can't tell the difference. I don't remember if I'm here, or there. Did I get kidnapped again? Or was I at breakfast with my dad? How is it that you danced with me Friday, when I almost destroyed you on Monday?" she sighed, resigned. Her lengthy hair, tangled still, hung limply, creating a barrier to protect her from Jay's view. He opened his mouth to speak, though he barely formed a sentence before Theresa began once more.

"Have you ever thought it would be easy to get away?," she continued quietly, "We defeat Cronus, but then what? It's too much." Finished, her eyes closing on themselves from sheer exhaustion, she slid ever so little against the door, shrinking only a fraction of the size she had felt. Her words tugged at his heart, latching onto it and tearing it from his chest. No matter what she said, Jay was a powerless spectator as, time after time, he watched as his heart followed her around in perfect symmetry. It was as though it existed outside of his body only. Yes, he knew what it was like to live in a completely detached state, as she described. Watching everything move too fast and not knowing how to slow it down, time flying by and their lives making a fast commute from beginning to close. And all the while they seemed to be wasting their time on melting magic wax and fairytales.

He approached her, and his movement attracted her emerald eyes to him once more. Even in its sadness, her gaze could only encourage him further. He cupped her shoulders, and traversed the length to her elbows, sending an electrifying jolt through her skin. Though Theresa tried, she could not bring herself to gaze into the depths of his dark eyes. She had gone against him in too many ways; it was only one fragment of her punishment to forbid herself a fleeting glance.

"I must be crazy," she told him, releasing one singular, defeated laugh - a tired sigh. In an instant, he embraced her, pulling her into his chest so she couldn't escape. She inhaled in what was almost shock, his warmth and his scent enveloping her while closing her mind to anything else, but the reality that she was finally there in his arms. At least, she desperately hoped that this was reality.

"You aren't crazy Theresa, trust me," he said, the concern in his voice drowning out his own exhaustion, "and if you are, than so am I, and we can be crazy together." He smiled at the thought.

"This pressure isn't yours alone," he said when she spoke no more. At this point it was hard to tell whether he said it for her, or perhaps, himself, "I know that I'm hard on you. I know that we have a lot of demands to put up with, and a lot of things left unsaid. You're right - it won't be easy. Nobody told us it would be. Sometimes I wanted to turn around and go home, but then I realized that nowhere was home like here was." He reluctantly stepped back from the close comfort of her body against his, releasing her from his grasp, and brought his hands up gently to her face. Placing a hand to each fiery cheek, and brushing the wildness of her stray mane out her face, Jay forced her to meet his eyes, if not only so that he could gain the privilege of staring into those glade like orbs infinitely.

"I'm glad that Cronus escaped," he said at length, after absorbing the view. Such words garnered a certain amount of confusion on Theresa's features, and understandably.

"I would have never met you if he hadn't," Jay reasoned, smiling, "and I never want to exist in a place where I'm normal, if a normal life doesn't include you. Any of these challenges we come across along the way are worth it, as long as I have to face them with you. I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. Smiling, he prayed to every god that was listening, in hopes that they could release her from her guilt.

"But how can you trust me to do my job right when I'm only acting out of repetition? It isn't just work anymore, its a mind game. I just get sucked in, and after a while of repeating myself again, it doesn't even feel like I'm there," she admitted, her gaze lowering toward the floor, "Like right now, when I'm standing here telling you all of this just because I feel like I should be when really all I want to do is kiss you and tell you everything you mean to me and I love you Jay, and sometimes I don't understand it but it feels too real to care if it really is or not." Alike a bullet from a pistol, the words flew from her lips before she even had the chance to question them. She broke away from his captivating gaze, her eyes falling to the floor in an expression that mocked guilt, though she was both overjoyed and overwhelmed that she had finally said something of valuable merit. They were the first real words she had spoken in what felt a lifetime of robotics.

_Cause every tear your silly eye bleeds,  
__Well never fear, we never may see worse than this.  
__I want to find a beautiful place,  
__But maybe I forgot about today, now, here._

Jay was left to brave the hollow silence that followed her questions. He battled over which path to take the conversation down. It was, undoubtedly, up to him. He could pursue the comfort of her conscience, or throw it all to Tartarous. He chose the later. He bent his head to see her at eye level, once again forcing her to respond. And she had no choice, for because of her fears she would take every chance she could to stare back at him and see the proof that he existed before her. Here. Now. Just the way he always had.

His hands flew to her face, holding it steady lest she tried to avoid him, though the reason either thought such an action was even possible was unclear. His touch sent her mind spinning, the warmth of his rough hands dizzying against her shivering skin. She closed her eyes instinctively, at the very instant of which his lips met hers in a crushing kiss.

She smiled against his lips - a more honest smile than she had conjured in months - and giggled like a fangirl at the feet of a hero. He was her hero, she supposed, and always would be.

"I love you too," he said, "and I don't ever want to understand." His voice was so quiet against her lips that the words were barely there. Had they not been so close, she wouldn't have heard him. Their lips weren't an inch from each others, their sweet and shallow breaths mingling in the space between. She promptly closed it again. It was all she could think of, to kiss him and finally know that he was there. There was no mistaking it.

Wanting to deepen the kiss, to be as close as physically possible, she leaned up on her toes and gripped his shoulders. His hands fell from her face to her hips, sending a shockwave through her as his fingertips grazed her sides. Such a sensation made her stumble. Only then did they notice that they were backed up against the door. The subtle _thud_ they created made her jump, steadying herself with a palm to the smooth surface at her back. He slid his hand over hers, and as he did she held it tight. She rested her head back against the door with a content breath.

"I love you to the darkest corner of Hades and back again. And there again, and back again, and there and back again. And then into Tartarous," he said, "and we both know how difficult it is to come back from there." He looked down at her with a grin spread wide across his lips. His perfect lips. She was eager to taste them again, and so she did. She wound her arms around his neck, her hands lacing into the soft waves of his hair. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"As long as I can love you, I know that some part of me is still sane," he said, "maybe not the greater part, but the part that counts." He kissed her forehead. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone anymore, and she knew it was true - as long as she could love him back, she would be ok.

She leaned up to kiss him again, only to be shoved back against the door by his own force. Whatever is going on in his head right now, she thought, well... maybe I'm not alone in this after all. She could sense how her own want of reassurance had brought out his need. His lips left hers, and began to travel down her neck, to her collarbone. She bit her lip to prevent the escape of any obscurely amorous noises, as her eyes fluttered shut and her hands began trailing down his arms. He worked his way back across her jaw, and planted another firm kiss to her lips. But he pulled away to soon, she thought, and her lips were left parted in surprise of his abruptness.

"Would you like to stay here tonight?" he asked breathily, the idea having just occurred to him. His chocolate eyes blazed with the fierceness of a single light in the dark. He moved his hands against her hips, his lips so light against hers that they were hardly there at all. She gripped his arms tighter. "Please stay with me tonight," he told her. She nodded and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek; a wordless, soundless acceptance. Suddenly she was in his arms. He picked her up off her feet and propped her against the door. She wrapped her legs around his hips, craving some leverage, and was surprised to see how indignantly rumpled her dress had become. The straps had slid off of her shoulders, the hem bunched up around her thighs. The neck was plunging lower and lower by the second.

As if reading her thoughts, Jay spun them around and toward his bed, quite skillfully turning the desk lamp off along the way. Being two meticulously trained warriors of the gods, they were surprised by their lusty clumsiness. It was true, love made us all fools. But amongst friends, that potential awkwardness didn't seem quite so awkward anymore. It was almost laughable - the audible squeak of the mattress as they toppled down, Theresa's gasp as Jay fell on top of her and the dull knock of the headboard as it just barely collided with his forehead. He balanced lightly above her on his forearms. Her head was swimming as if through fog, wondering how it was that her dress was suddenly sliding off of her body as if of its own accord. How his shirt had come to lay beside it, the tie still loosely tangled around its collar. She slid her hands across his shoulders, and down across the smooth muscles of his chest, marred more by the scars of battle than she had remembered from the last time she had looked too long during training. Marks left by monsters and demons and the stories of old. A deep gash in his left shoulder from the fangs of the chimera. Countless slashes from the golden scythe, and even a few rare sword-made scars from their earlier days. He kissed her sweetly again, his scars and her own twined between them as his body pressed against hers. Together, and real, and safe. Safe at last.

The dorm bed was not ideally suited for two people, and she supposed the gods had planned it that way, but she didn't mind. Even as she felt her bare shoulder press against the cold wall, she didn't mind. It only meant that perhaps they would have to hold each other a little closer. The warmth of his body against hers was enough.

**xoxoxox**

_Beauty, where to find it?  
__Can't be far.  
__Beauty, where you hiding?  
__Tell me, I'll go where you are.  
__I'll go where you are._

His hand ran down along her thigh. Her soft, smooth, slender thigh that felt as if it were made of liquid gold. Her thigh that he had seen power forces so great that the resulting sidekick would topple even the fiercest of beasts.

He felt her lips as they dusted kisses across his jawline, leaving a trail of telling lipstick smudges behind, and he thought of every word he had ever heard her say. Every insult, every curse, every kindness and sympathy and joke and jab.

He felt her eyes on him, silently surveying in the dark, looking out over the angled plains of his chest and face. She looked up at him through thick, spidery lashes, her makeup smeared around her eyes like broken window frames. And as his gaze found hers, he saw behind the glaze of emerald window panes all the many ghosts swimming in the depths below. But he loved them. And he loved her.

Jay had never been able to properly describe Theresa, not in all the years that he had known her. He could never bring himself to encase all that she was in a single name. He didn't think it was possible.

But in that moment he swore there was nothing he could call her but beauty.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**Well, I certainly hope that this chapter was worth the unreasonably long wait for you all! =) truth be told, its been in and out of my edit box so much in the last four years that I wasn't quite sure by the end of it what even I would think about it when it was done. So I guess I'll leave the judging up to you =)**

**That said, reminder that this is the second last chapter, and all reviewers will be getting mentioned in the intro to next chapter lol and don't mentions just make you feel sooooo good? =D**

**Ending on an honest note here, this chapter has been with me in my head for the greater part of my entire writing "career", as one might say. Its means a lot to me. It embodies elements from pretty much my entire love life, takes place between my two favorite characters, and has prompted many similar scenes involving either these elements of staging, or these moral dilemmas. I feel like it says a lot about my writing, and whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I'm not all together sure. Maybe it's a bit of both. But regardless of these ridiculously strong, heavy feelings I have towards this chapter, I hope you, the reader, get as involved in this scene and enjoy it as deeply, presently, and thoroughly as I have while writing it.**

**Thanks again so much to all of you for sticking with me here while I take my sweet time and rant xD cheers to me for finally uploading and cheers to you if you stuck by to actually come back and read. I love you for it! =)**

**Let it be known that this sucker was finally finished on Monday December 31th of 2012 at... oh dear, 5:13 am... and they ask me why I drink so much coffee lol**

**Meanwhiles, if you are looking for some soundtrackage for this chapter, the titular song is Beauty by Kalan Porter. And it is hauntingly beautiful. It makes me weep. Like a small child. You hath been warned.**

**RxR my loves and I will see you SO MUCH SOONER I swear! ...no, really!**

**One more to go xD**

**Cheers! =)**

**Your friend and fellow writer, **

**the fates of love**


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